Bellatouille
by cookybabe
Summary: AU: All human. Bella is a chef in a classy restaurant. She learns that passion for food and another chef can whip up one tasty and incredible recipe. Filled with fun tales of the restaurant life, a giant splash of romance, and a dash of clumsiness. BxE
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: I wanted to actually write about something that I love and enjoy, so I figured cooking and Twilight. I'm taking alot of my own experiences and rewriting them for Bella's and Edward's benefit in the kitchen. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did writing it.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Bellatouille

Chapter 1

"Bella, I need the food for table 12!"

"Give me a minute, Alice, just waiting for the sauce reduce..." I say, while running a spoon across the bottom of the pan to check for that beautiful nape consistency.

Alice is our top server in the restaurant. With her perky attitude, confidence in the food, and beautiful features, the customers happen to request her every time they come in. She's the reason I'm swamped with orders tonight.  
I feel Alice come up behind me and stare in the pan.

"Mmm, I always love when you're behind the line, Bella. The food always smells better coming from your station."

When I'm sure the sauce is finished, I turn around and take a plate off the warming tray. I quickly grab my pans off the stove and start to plate up the dish. I lightly dip my finger in the borderlaise sauce and stick it in my mouth. The flavor combination will work, bringing together the fruitiness of the beef and bold flavors of the dish.

Alice dips her finger in as well and her face lights up. "You'll have to make me that later. Hurry up, I'm sure they're getting impatient."

Plating up the rest of the order, I pull the check from the rack and hand it to Alice. "Order up!"  
Smiling, Alice takes the plates and rushes out of the kitchen in a flash.

I sigh, hoping this would be last order of the night. I check in my little reach-ins for anything that needs to be re-stocked before the night is up. Making a list, I walk downstairs, take a hotel pan, and make my way into the walk-in.

The cool air hits my hot skin, making me shiver slightly. I stand there for a few seconds, letting the walk-in cool me off. Working the line alone tonight has me sweating. I unbutton the top button on my chef coat and pull it to the side. I fell my body relax slightly as I breathe in the cool air. Heading to the vegetable shelf, I hear the door open quietly.

"There you are, Bella."

Jumping slightly, I turn around, meeting Edward, the head chef of the restaurant. He always pops up when I'm in the walk-in. I should know this. He's done this numerous times, mainly for the humor of the whole situation. Luckily, no food was in the pan.

"I'm just restocking the reach-ins. Running low on a couple of vegetables and some meats. It wasn't a busy night, so I figured I'd do it now."

He steps closer to me, showing me his crooked grin. "Here, I'll do it. Alice is waiting for you to make her that dish. She didn't say what it was called, but I heard you put it on the specials for tonight."

I shake my head slightly. "There weren't any specials. I threw a few things together, invented a name, and put it on there. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all. It was very good. However..." He hesitates for a few moments, thinking. "It was missing something. I'm not sure what it is, but it needs something else. How about we make it together after you close down?"

I nod. He holds his hand out for the list and pan. Meeting his topaz eyes, I gently give him both items and turn to leave.

"And, Bella?"

"Yes, Chef?"

"When you close down, don't burn yourself on anything tonight, please? I believe we're running a little low on burn cream..."

Walking out, I fell the blood rushing to my cheeks. He always has to make fun of me for burning myself since that night a few months ago. Granted, it was a bad burn, but I've been careful (if you call careful burning yourself _every other_ night).

I make my way back up the stairs to the kitchen to find Mike, our rather unpopular-with-the-ladies server, waiting for me. I slightly roll my eyes and head to the reach-in, mentally going over the ingredients that I need to make the special dish.

"Whatcha doing, cutie?" He walks closer to me and leans against the stove, unbuttoning the top button on his uniform shirt.

"Getting ingredients out, Mike." I say in a bored voice, making sure to button up my chef coat, lest he gets any ideas.

"What are you making? There's no more customers out there."

I turn around, my hands full of various items, and immediately bump into Mike. When did he move that close to me? Apologizing without actually meaning it, I move to my cutting board and start dicing onions.

The onions are strong and soon the sulfuric acid is hitting my eyes, making them tear slightly. My nose is running a bit, but I'm used to it. I grab the towel from my back pocket, wipe my face, then return it. Grabbing another onion, I start the dicing process over again.

"Want to go to the bar and get a drink?" He breathes right into my ear.

Startled, I feel the knife slip from the onion and enter the side of my index finger. I stand there, not paying attention to what Mike is now saying, which sounds something along the lines of "blood, onion, your finger, crap".

I look at my finger, noticing the blood coming out. The smell hits my nose and immediately I'm engulfed with a wave of nausea, which brings me staggering toward the first-aid kit.

I notice Alice walk through the doors.

"Bella?"

I moan.

"Oh lord, did you cut yourself? How?"

Rushing over to me, she notices the blood coming from my finger and knows that I'll be sick within seconds.

"Mike, get a garbage can or something! Don't just stand there!"

I hear Mike walking slowly away, mumbling something about Alice being pushy and slightly overprotective of me.

"Bella, you'll be fine, let's get to the sink and rinse your hand."

I nod my head, but make no attempt to move. It useless for her to do this, she knows this. I'm going to be sick; I can feel my stomach contract as the smell hits my nose again. Breathing through my mouth, I shudder slightly, hoping I won't miss the garbage can this time.

When I come back from my thinking, Alice is looking me in the eyes, a wet towel wrapped around my hand, and a bowl of freshly chopped herbs stuck in my nose.

"Breathe in, Bella. It'll help."

I inhale the fresh scents of rosemary, oregano, and thyme. Immediately I'm taken away from the smell of blood and back into the kitchen, remembering the first dish I had made with fresh herbs. The smell as they sautИed in the pan, the taste that enveloped the food, the flavors dancing over my tongue.

And now I'm at the sink. Alice, the little miracle worker, is my savior again.

"Keep breathing in those herbs, Bella. It'll be done soon."

I nod, continuing to inhale the wonderful scents.

"It's a good thing I know how to handle you when you cut yourself. Almost done. The water running over it should stop it soon. I don't think you'll need stitches, but you got yourself good this time. How did this happen? You rarely cut yourself, only burn yourself. Speaking of which, I have to ask Edward if he can order in more burn cream..."

I decide to stop paying attention to Alice. Whenever some disaster happens, she babbles. I know she does this to take my mind off of whatever has happened to me this time. But, honestly, how many other people are going to bring up the burn cream today?

"Mike said you needed something in here, Bella. I assumed it was burn cream. Am I right?"

Inhale, Bella, I tell myself. Just let it go.

Emmett, the server who is known as I-get-the-ladies-to-continue-ordering-drinks-from-me-because-I'm-handsome, walks over to the sink and looks in. "Well, it looks like Jasper wins the bet tonight. He said Bella would cut her finger since we're low on the burn cream. Alice, can I borrow twenty bucks?"

Alice stifles a low giggle. "Go away, Emmett. Bella cut herself, emergency! You know? Get some bandages or something for me, will you?"

"Fine, but can I still borrow the twenty? Or can we keep this a secret? I really didn't want to lose to Jasper."

I groan, knowing full well that the betting has been going on around here. Every night, someone wins or someone loses. And the loser usually gives me a dirty look.

"You know this won't be a secret. What happens in the kitchen, doesn't stay in the kitchen. Especially when it comes to Bella."

"Completely unlike Las Vegas."

And in walks Rosalie, the beautiful infamous bartender. Many female customers have complained about Rose breaking up their dates for the evening. When they are asked what she did, the customer can't come up with anything except saying, "She gave him a look."

"What is it today? A burn? How much burn cream can you go through in a week, Bella?" Rose taps her foot on the ground for good effect.

Shaking my head, I look up and smile at Rose. She smiles back, then grimaces. "A cut? Are you kidding? Great. I lost to Jasper for the second time this week. Bella, why can't you do what I bet you are going to do?"

"Wait, you bet on me too?" I ask. I never knew Rose to be that person.

"Well, no offense, but it does help the work day go a bit faster. Jasper's going to get a lot of money tonight. The whole front bet you would burn yourself."

"At least it isn't as bad as the time you slipped from the spilled grease and smacked your head on the oven. No one won that day." Emmett says.

I think back to that day, which was just a few nights ago. "Wait, what other bets do you have going on about me?"

Alice, Emmett, and Rose look to one another.

"None," they say all together.

Wait, something doesn't seem right.

"Bella, sit down so I can bandage your hand." Alice tells me and leads me to a chair.

I notice my finger has stopped bleeding and I hold it up to my face. The cut is rather deep, nicking my finger nail in the process. So much for good looking hands, I remind myself. Looking at my hands, I notice my nails are short, there are burn marks on my fingers and on the back of my hands, and I have a callous where I hold the knife. I groan. They'll never be pretty again.

Alice tears my hand from my inspection. "This might sting, but it should clean away any infection. Remember to smell the herbs."

Right, I forgot about the herbs. Emmett sticks them back up my nose and I inhale. A slight burning sensation occurs on my fingertip and then pressure. I look down and notice it's wrapped neatly and Alice is smiling up at me.

"All good now. See? It wasn't that bad."

And here comes Jasper, our maitre d'. I don't know how he handles upset customers, but somehow their aggravation ends up with them saying they'll be back because of the wonderful experience.

⌠"Why the sad faces? It's closing time. Let's..."

And then he stares at me. His eyes travel to my finger that Alice is still holding. And then back up to the bowl that is shoved in my nose. "Oh? That's not the usual treatment for Bella's burns."

Emmett stares at Alice, Alice looks to Rose, Rose looks to me. "Um, I fell?"

"No dice, Bella. That's a cut. Pay up everyone." And he proceeds to hold out his hand to everyone in the kitchen.

Grumbling, they pull the money out their pockets, even Alice, and hand it over to Jasper.

He looks at Alice. "I didn't know you were in on it."

"I, um, well..."

Alice is speechless? Wait, what exactly is going on here?

"No worries, Alice. You don't have to pay me. Besides, if I'm not mistaken, Emmett still owes you money from the last time he lost to me, right?" He smiles at Alice and gives her a wink.

Emmett moves the bowl from my nose and shakes his head. "How do you always know what is going to happen in the kitchen, Jasper? The other bet we have--" All eyes turn to me, Alice's showing humor and knowledge.

I look at Emmett. "I asked earlier, what other bets do you have on me? I thought it was just what could happen to the rather clumsy chef in the kitchen..." I trail off, looking at their faces, waiting for an explanation.

In that instant, Alice's face lights up and looks to Rose. "Come on, guys. Let's close up. Bella, are you okay to close up on your own?"

"Wait! I asked you guys a question..."

"Sorry, Bella, but we're on the clock, no time right now." Alice scurries from the kitchen, grabbing Rose by the hand in the process and succeeds in having Jasper and Emmett follow them like little puppies.

Another Note: If anyone has any questions about food or other terminology, just let me know. But for now, I'll just give the brief description.

Borderlaise Sauce: sauce made with a dry red wine, bone marrow, shallots, and demi-glace (it's absolutely delish)

Maitre d': Basically the standard host in your restaurant, but for the classiness, the name. And he basically runs operations in the front of the house.

Chapter 2 is in the works, please be patient. I'm almost out of work for the semester (5 weeks vacation!) and it's taking up some time. Expect the next chapter by this weekend.

Thanks!

3, cooky


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't Twilight, or anything affliated with. I just like to make them cook and fall in love in different scenarios.

A/N: To those who reviewed the last chapter, thank you so much! I'm glad you're enjoying this story and storyline. I'm also very thankful it's original. Just to give a head's up, in this chapter I wanted to give a little depth into Edward and Bella's relationship, as co-workers, chefs, and friends. This is usually what happens when you work close with someone in a restaurant. (Romance doesn't always happen, but for this, it will because I make it so!) Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. It has a lot of cooking in it, slight--very slight--fluff, and a teeny bit of humor.

P.S. Do not try any food at home. I know it sounds good, but there's no recipe and I don't want it to taste like poo for you. Let me know if you want a recipe and I'll send it your way.

Chapter 2

After gathering my confusion from the past few minutes of events, I stand and head over the line to start the process of breaking down the kitchen.

I grab all the extra pans off the top of the stove and place them on the line behind me. Scooping up the dirty ones, I place them in the dishwasher area for Tyler to clean later on.

I grab a hot wet towel from the sink and wipe down the stove, making sure to clean every bit of spilled food from the burners. To finish up, I make sure all the ovens are off and gently place the clean pans back in their original spot.

Rolling up my sleeves, I turn around to tackle my prep/plate area. I take my knife and hold it in my hand. It feels so right; my hand forms to the handle and a controlling power comes over me. Carefully, I finish dicing the other onion quickly and place it in a bowl. I place my knife back in the cutting board and read the inscription: Chef Bella's Knife.

I smile to myself and remember Edward bought for it me when I had only been working here for three months. I've always wanted a knife that felt so right in my hand that I would borrow Edward's when he wasn't working with me in the kitchen. Soon after, I feel in love with the Shun and had to have one. Six months later, the knife has only cut me once and that was tonight.

Finally, I wash the knife and return it to my roll-up, along with my steel, placing it neatly on the shelves in the kitchen. I walk to my station and start wiping it down.

"I hear you cut yourself tonight," a silky voice says in my ear.

I smile at the thought of Edward being in the kitchen. We always work so well together, especially on the busy nights.

"Well, you did say not to burn myself. I figured what you didn't tell me to do was better." I turn around and stare in his eyes.

Those eyes...I've always wondered how I manage to properly work in this kitchen when we stare over at each other while tasting a new dish. Or how I actually pay attention at staff meetings.

He smiles gently at me and takes my hand. "Can I look at your wound, oh clumsy one?"

I giggle and nod my head.

He leads me over to the chair in the kitchen and sits me down. Kneeling next to me, he unwraps my finger and lets out a low whistle. "Nice job on this one. Who took care of it? I don't see anything amiss in here. Did you make it to the toilet in time?"

Again, blood rushes to my cheeks and I shake my head vigorously. "Alice, my female knight in shining armor, came to my rescue with a bowl of chopped herbs."

"Ah. Smart. I'll have to remember that one. What were you doing when this happened?"

I recount my story to him about Mike and how he scared me when he came up behind me.

Edward's eyes darken, but then soften as they look into mine. "Everyone here knows better than to come up behind the chef with a knife in their hand, especially when **_you_** have a knife." He pinches the bridge of his nose and closes his eyes. "Please, go on with your story."

When I'm finished telling it, he looks at me, scrutinizing my words. And then he laughs, a sweet melodic laugh. "They bet on you? And they didn't even tell me? Do you think they'll let me on it?"

His laughter picks up my mood more than ever tonight. I follow his laughter for a few moments and then sigh.

"Do you still want to make your special tonight?"

He leans his head down to examine my cut again, letting his bronze hair fall over his eyes. I think about creating the dish for him, with him.

I smile gently, recalling sweet and savory moments in the kitchen with him, speaking low about the ingredients or yelling about how we succeeded in creating a dish.

Nodding, I say, "Only if you bandage my finger up again. "

A low laugh erupts from his throat. He stands up, holds out his hand for me, and says, "I think I can take care of that for you, Bella." And he stares into my eyes, while wrapping my finger, with a grin on his face.

"Show me the way of your kitchen, Chef."

We walk over to my station and I bend down to go into the reach-in. When I come back up with all my ingredients, Edward has set-up my station again, with both our knives.

"Your recipe, your call."

I look at him, knowing he'll do exactly as I say, watch my every movement, mimic me.

"First, let's marinate the beef tenderloin in red wine, shallot, garlic, a little olive, salt and pepper. Throw it in the vac sealer so it can marinate quicker. We'll need some onions, garlic, shallots, red wine, beef bones, demi-glace, and some rosemary for the borderlaise sauce."

He nods his head and starts moving around the kitchen. "I got the beef, prep the sauce, Bella."

I stand and watch his movements for a few minutes while he puts ingredients in the vac sealer and adds the beef. I turn to my station and start gathering what I need for the sauce. When I have everything set out in little bowls, I take a pot from the pan rack and place it on the burner.

"Ready to start the sauce, Edward?"

He's by my side in a flash, his eyes intent on watching me create.

I add a little oil to the pan and sautИ the onions, shallot and garlic until they are translucent. Next, I add the red wine and wait for it to simmer.

"Edward, I'll need the marrow from those bones in a few minutes," I murmur, concentrating on the next move for the sauce.

He walks over to my cutting board and takes a spoon, gently prying the marrow out. When he has gathered enough, he brings it to me.

He has an excited look on his face as he watches me take the marrow from him.

The wine has now reduced, the little mixture in the pan is a syrup. I add the marrow, making sure to smash it into the rest of the ingredients. I turn to grab my bowl of demi-glace, which is missing. Confused, I look around my station, knowing I took it out just a little while ago.

"Missing something?"

And then I forget that Edward is always a step before me, almost reading my mind as to what I'll need next. I glare at him for good measure and grab the bowl roughly. Some spills on his chef coat. Oops.

After adding the demi-glace to the pan, I stir for a few moments. Finally, I add a large sprig of rosemary. "We just have to let it simmer for a while, then it'll be done. We want a nice consistency, but not too thick because we're going to finish it in the pan with the tenderloin."

Edward nods and looks at me, awaiting my next instructions.

I think of the gnocchi that I have made and decide not to waste time making fresh ones. I made them yesterday afternoon and I know they are still fresh.

"Let's serve it with roasted baby carrots this time. You get to clean them, Edward."

He smiles and walks over to my station. I stir the sauce again which has just begin a light simmer. I waft the steam into the nose, inhaling the wonderful scents.

Edward is once again at my side, with the prepped carrots. I glare at the carrots, then at him, then at the prep station. There's nothing on the cutting board to show he did anything.

"Did you take these out of the cooler?"

He gives me a sheepish smile, "Saving time. It's already one in the morning."

Laughing, I say, "Fine, put them in a hotel pan with olive oil, salt and pepper. Put a tad bit of water in the bottom so they won't burn. Put them in the oven at 425 degrees."

After Edward walks over the oven, I go to the reach-in and grab the cracked black pepper gnocchi. I start a pan on the burner with a bit of butter. While the butter melts, I count out 20 gnocchi and put them in a bowl. I add them to the pan and let them brown on one side before flipping them. When they're done, I shut the burner off, but leave the pan on the stove.

I walk over to the vac sealer and open it. The beef has a beautiful dark red color to it; the marinade penetrating the first layers of it. I take the two pieces out and place them on a dish.

"Edward, saute pan, on the burner, little oil, high heat."

He follows my instructions and then checks on the carrots in the oven. "How long should they cook? Twenty minutes right?"

"We don't want them over or under cooked. Twenty minutes should do it. Another ten and they'll be out. How do you like your meat, Edward?"

He stares at me, a long contemplative stare, before he answers. "Rare, the rarer the better."

"Okay, let's go at it."

I gently place the two pieces of beef tenderloin in the pan, listening to the meat as it hits the pan. The smell of the marinade with the beef cooking is amazing; it grabs your senses, hypnotizing you.

I flip the tenderloins over, a beautiful carmelization stares up at me. I spoon the little bit of oil on the side of the beef to cook, since we're aiming for rare. I look at Edward and notice he is watching right over my shoulder.

"Do you want the rest of the marinade for the pan?"

"No, I want cranberries."

He looks slightly confused, but then recovers. I can tell he is thinking for a few moments about the flavor combination, seeing if it will work. He nods in affirmation, finally seeing my point of view, and heads to the reach-in.

"Chop them finely, and then smash them with the knife, then bring them here. You have 30 seconds."

I start counting in my head, almost hitting 27 before Edward is back by my side with the macerated cranberries. I take the bowl from him and then add them to the pan.

Immediately the smell of the cranberries combined with the beef assaults my senses and I start to become excited. I know this will be even better than the one I was serving for dinner.

After letting both saute for a few minutes, I add a bit of borderlaise sauce to the pan. I roll the beef around in the sauce and take them out. Placing them on a plate, I turn the heat all the way up on the pan.

"We're just reducing the sauce to nape now. When it's finished, which will be in a few moments, we can plate the food. Check the carrots and I'll reheat the gnocchi."

Edward walks to the oven and opens the door. As he bends down, he grabs a perry knife and gently prods the carrots with it. Nodding, he takes the pan out of the oven and sets them on the stove top.

With everything finally ready for my special dish, I start pulling the pans off the stove and bring them to my station. Edward grabs a hot plate and places it in front of me. I take the gnocchi out of the pan first and gently arrange them on the plate in the middle. Next, I take the two pieces of tenderloin and place them side by side on top of the gnocchi. Grabbing a tablespoon, I start to pour a bit of the sauce around the plate and on top of the beef. I place the baby carrots around the edge of the plate to finish the dish.

I wipe the out edges with a clean towel. "Dinner's served, Edward."

I carry the plate to a secluded table in the dining room, placing it directly in the middle. Edward carries out two smaller plates and sets them on either side. Before I can even sit, he is behind me, pulling my chair out.

When I am seated, Edward walks away. He comes back with two wine glasses and a bottle of Shiraz wine. "Do you think this will compliment the dish, Bella?"

I shrug my shoulders; I was never into wine pairings. I do like wine however, and red is my favorite. I love the peppery, fruity flavors, and the way they move over my tongue.

After Edward is done opening the bottle, he pours me a bit in my glass. Typical of the French chef, he is letting me taste it before he pours an entire glass. The Shiraz is complex--dry, fruity, peppery, a hint of raspberry. It's perfect.

"It's perfect, Edward. Sit and eat. I don't want you complaining that it's cold."

Definitions:

Shiraz: Dry Red Wine, normally a product of Australia or New Zealand.

Vac Sealer: the most awesome invention ever! it's a barrel with a lid, you add stuff (normally for marinading) and then turn it on. it forces the marinade into the food through vac suckage and tumbles it. that's the best way i can describe it.

Any other questions about food, just ask. :-D

Love, cooky


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: I just want to say THANK YOU!!! to the wonderful reviews I received last chapter. I'm glad you're enjoying it so far. Christmas shopping got the best of me this week--it's hard to buy gifts when you haven't thought about it. This is the last chapter that will move slowly; I want to give a clear idea of the restaurant and how everyone is in there. I hope I have fulfilled that. Next chapter is in the works--should be up by this weekend. Enjoy this chapter, for the next one we will learn something interesting. :-D_

Chapter 3

I really didn't realize I was hungry until I sat down and stared at the food. The plate looked amazing, and I couldn't wait to dig in. However, the female in me kicked in and said to wait until Edward grabbed his half first.

"Bella, your plate?"

And now I give in, knowing he's a gentleman, willing to serve me first.

I hold my plate out for him and he gently places a couple gnocchi, carrots, and one piece of tenderloin on it. I stare at me plate, my taste buds waiting to dance over the creation that I have made. He plates his food as well, staring at me.

I nod my head, giving him the okay to eat first. He cuts a piece of tenderloin, prods it with his fork and runs it around in the sauce. I'm watching him intently and notice his fork moving towards my mouth. Smiling, I open my mouth and take the piece of beef gently.

The flavor is intense--red wine, garlic, cranberries, rosemary, sweet beef. I close my eyes and enjoy the flavors dancing over my tongue, intriguing me to eat more, and savor every moment of this dish.

When I finally open my eyes again, Edward is staring at me with a goofy grin on his face. "From the look on your face, I take it I'll love this?"

I smile openly, letting my face show the appreciation of the food, finding myself at a lost for words. I look expectantly at Edward, waiting for him to take his first bite.

And he does. Just like me, once the food hits his mouth, his eyes close, his jaw works slowly, savoring every flavor.

"Absolutely amazing."

I blush, close my eyes, and lean my head down. I have, once again, succeeded in making an amazing dish. This is what makes me so passionate about cooking. I love the look on people's faces as they taste my food, the realization in their eyes, their smile of content when they are finished. It's a wonderful feeling, and even better when Edward loves my creations.

We continue eating, slowly, enjoying the flavor combinations and distinct textures of all the components. When we finish, I sip my wine, relaxing, knowing I get to do this job tomorrow and enjoy it fully.

I push away from the table, a little too roughly, and end up toppling over backwards. My chair falls to the floor, a loud sound erupts, and my body aches. Edward is by my side in a flash, along with Alice, Rose, Emmett, Jasper, and Mike.

"Owwww..."

And then I laugh, a loud humorous laugh. I can't help but be clumsy; it's a part of me that I am used to.

"First you cut yourself, then you knock yourself over...How do you do it, Bella?" Alice asks, her eyes showing concern.

I smile and shake my head at her, "You know, I'm used to the whole clumsy thing by now, Alice. But seriously, I'm getting rather sick of it." I tumble out of the chair and end up on my stomach on the floor.

I hear laughter, knowing I tried to be graceful and successfully failed. I groan, wanting to lay there for a few moments while their laughter subsides.

"Are you done yet?" I ask, my nose resting on the wooden floor.

I hear some muffled laughter and feel arms around my waist. These arms grab me, pull me to a standing position, and a hand pats my back. I turn around to face Emmett, who just laughs, a booming laugher that fills my ears.

"I saved you from yourself. We don't know what trouble you'll get into by trying to get up again."

I look around, noticing everyone is still smiling. Edward is talking low to Alice and I strain my ears to hear. A hint of jealousy erupts in me, but it subsides after a few moments. Everyone is friends here, right? At least I hope so.

Emmett puts his arm around my shoulders, and says, "Let's get you a Margarita; you've had a rough night."

We walk toward the bar, Rose going behind it to make me my drink, "Lots of salt on the rim, right, Bella?" She winks at me and grabs a lime.

I settle on a stool that is next to the wall and alone. Alice comes up beside me with another stool and plops down. We sit in a silence for a few moments, staring at Rose mixing concoctions for us.

Rose brings me my drink, setting it on a little napkin. "I made it strong and salty for you, Bella. Top shelf. Drink up, you need it." She smiles, a sweet and innocent smile. I give her a little smile back and take a drink.

I look around the restaurant, noticing the tables cleared off, candles blown out, the lights are low. Another night down for us; another trip to the bar afterwards to help us relax.

I unbutton my chef coat and let it fall away from me. The stiff fabric feels hard against my skin, and I shrug it off, showing a white t-shirt. Next, I kick off my shoes and let my feet feel the cool air through my socks.

Alice and Rose notice what I have done and follow suit. Not too long after, everyone is out of their work shirt, their faces more relaxed than I have seen in the past couple of weeks.

Fighting back a yawn, I look at the clock and realize it's almost 2 am. I grab my drink, lick the salt off the rim, down the rest of the margarita, and stand up.

"I'm calling it a night. See you guys tomorrow."

As I'm about to leave the bar, I notice Edward stare at me, a small, sweet playing at his lips. He leans his head down a little, mouthing, "Goodnight, Bella."

I smile at him for a few seconds, then turn around. I hear several goodbyes from my coworkers, and head to the kitchen. As I walk through the kitchen, I check to make sure all the ovens and burners are off. I notice Tyler washing all the pots and some dishes left over. Smiling to him, I head downstairs.

The locker room is quiet and empty as I make my way to my locker. I fiddle with my combination for a few moments then open it up. I place my chef coat on a hanger, grab my sweatshirt and purse.

As I head back to the stairs, I hear a few loud noises and giggling in the supply closet. Curious, I step closer to the door and listen.

"What if we get caught?"

"Do you think we'll lose our job?"

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed Alice and Jasper?"

"Wait, they use this closet too?!"

"Everyone uses this closet. Except..."

"I wonder when **_that_** will happen."

"Have you noticed Mike eyeing Bella? Maybe they'll be next in here."

"Ha! Like that would happen. She does have standards you know."

"You're right, though. Alice seems to predict the future well enough."

"She always happens to know things before they happen, like us."

"How is it that Jasper always wins? You'd think Alice was in it..."

"Enough gossiping. Didn't we come in here for a reason?"

"Riiiiight..."

And to my utter amazement, I hear lips smacking and other things grinding together, not to mention moaning. I believe the supply closet will be a mess tomorrow...

As I'm walking away, I bump into a speed rack holding numerous pans stacked on top of sheet pans. They clattered to the ground, clinging, twirling, and sending a message that says, "Someone is obviously outside the supply closet! Don't come out!"

I carefully and quietly step over the scattered pans, making my way to the stairs. I look over my shoulder to make sure the closet door is still closed and let out a breath I didn't know I was holding in.

Shaking my head, I know I recognized the voices. I replay the conversation in my head and decide I need to talk to Alice immediately.

I search for Alice as soon as I hit the kitchen. Hearing her melodic voice, I follow it to the dining room. She's sitting at a random table, talking to Jasper and Edward.

As quickly as I can without falling, I walk over to them. "Alice, kitchen, now!" I briefly see confusion written on her face before she stands up and follows. While walking away, I hear Edward and Jasper snicker.

We walk into the kitchen and stop when I notice Tyler is still washing dishes. "Outside, Alice."

Once we are safely out of anyone's hearing, I turn to Alice, "Do you know what I heard?"

Her eyes light up, her face waiting anxiously. She starts bouncing on the balls of feet, waiting for me to tell her.

I sigh, giving up on her answering. "I heard something in the supply closet downstairs..."

"Oh, Bella, everyone knows about Rose and Emmett. I could have even told you that without hearing of your closet peeping"

I close my eyes. Closet peeping? Is that what I was doing? I decide to convince myself I was just investigating a mysterious noise.

"And you and Jasper?"

She shakes her head in affirmation, "Yes, Bella. Jasper and I have just started dating."

"But how long has..."

She smiles, "For a while now, with Rose and Emmett. I caught them months ago. They were in the corner of the pantry. Quite a sight--I couldn't look either of them in the eyes for a month!"

I blush, only imagining what Alice saw.

"Is there anything else I should know of? Like a bet? Or more couples?" I stare into her eyes, waiting for them to show me some hidden truth.

She's quiet for a few moments, searching for something to tell me. I notice her face changing, hiding something from me. Finally, she says, "Well...You know Jessica?"

I nod my head. Jessica's our newest addition to the kitchen staff as our pastry chef. Edward decided it would be best if some of the pressure would be taken off of us and hire someone in to do desserts. I haven't really had the chance to talk her yet, other than greetings, but I did notice her eyes always moving to Edward during the entire introduction.

Alice, snapping me back out of my revere by waving a hand in my face, says, "She wants Edward. I heard her telling Rose the other night. And you know Rose did? She laughed in Jessica's face! Jessica was pretty mad because she walked out of the restaurant in a huff."

Unbelievable. I'm starting to think I pay too much attention to my food instead of what is going on around me. Actually, I knew that already.

"Alice, I heard them say something about Mike. What about that?"

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed how he looks at you, Bella. Another one who wants someone that they'll never have," she says in a sing-song voice.

I narrow my eyes, "What do you mean by that?"

"It's just a saying, that's all."

I decide to really push for information. If I don't receive the answers tonight, I'm going to start paying more attention to those little staff meetings that happen without me in the corner of the dining room. Maybe I can buy one of those little things I saw on the infomercials the other night that can pick up conversations. I hope it's on again tonight so I can definitely order it, just in case...

"I'm serious, Alice. I don't want to beg, but I want the truth, coming from you, now." I can tell I was just starting to become a little angry, something I can't recall doing in the past months.

Alice stares at me, sizing me, sensing if I'm really angry or just being dramatic. Suddenly, she perks up, and looks towards the door.

"Not here, someone's listening," she whispers to me. "Let me drive you home. I promise I'll tell you as much as I know, but remember, there are other people who know more, too, Bella."

And Alice proceeds to grab me, forcing me to run through the restaurant to her car. We did receive several weird stares from everyone just standing around, but I didn't care. I was finally going to get the truth out of Alice!

_Definitions:_

_Speed Rack: A large rack that can hold numerous sheet pans on it; normally used in a bakery for proofing rolls or holding baked items to cool. (hope that was a good explanation)_


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: I own nothing...except the acorn sqaush recipe._

_Author's Note: I wanted to update today, so I hurried it along...My fingers got their workout today! To those who reviewed the last chapter, thank you! As long as there are people out there enjoying my work, I enjoy writing it more. More people in this chapter. And more definitions at the end. Enjoy! (And if I don't update before Tuesday, Merry Christmas!)_

Chapter 4

As I sit on my couch channel surfing, I replay the conversation with Alice in my head. Oh, the listening devise infomercial! I pick up my cell phone and quickly dial the number. Hearing the operator, I place my order for two of those little awesome things and give her my credit card number. I also decide to have them shipped overnight. I'll have them the day after tomorrow!

Alice said some things to me that weren't terribly far off the truth, but at the same time, they seem so misguided. Seriously, could Edward and I be anything other than coworkers? Yes, it's true that we have so much common. We share the same passion for food. Both of us love to cook, eat, and create. I've never known passion for anything other than food. Where does this leave me?

My musings take me a state of anxiety, but I quickly quell them. I look at the clock--4am--and know it's time for bed. It's Friday tomorrow (well, today, but honestly it isn't tomorrow until I wake up); the restaurant will be packed. Which means I'll be working in the kitchen next to Edward.

Quickly, I change into my pajamas, hop into bed, and hope that sleep will overcome me before my mind's ramblings do.

My alarm blares me awake at 11am. I stumble out of bed, trying hard not to trip, reaching blindly for that annoying noise.

After all my stumbling, I make it to the bathroom to shower. The hot water feels wonderful against my tight back muscles and I remind myself to get another massage soon. I take my time relaxing in the shower, letting the water relieve my body of stress to start fresh today.

When I finish with my absolutions, I walk to the kitchen for a quick bite to eat. Ah, cereal. The best creation, hands down. I pour myself a bowl of Special K Chocolate Chunk and eat slowly.

While eating, my mind travels back to the conversation with Alice last night. How can she possibly predict these things and expect them to come true? I'll give her credit though. She did say Rosalie and Emmett would end up together. And then she told Jasper that one day they'll be together. I don't know how she does it, but I'm not willing to bet against her.

I grab a clean chef coat, check my appearance in the mirror, and head out the door. I smile to myself as I jump in my old red pick-up. The engine roars to life, causing me to jump--I jump every time I start this thing. I pull out of my parking spot and drive to the restaurant.

When I walk though the doors, I notice I'm the not the only one who's there early. I wave to Rose, who's behind the bar checking stock. I mentally make a note to myself to check the order that came in this morning for random items. Edward sometimes orders in something obscure, with the hope that we can create something out it. They usually turn out inedible, but at least we try. I'm just keeping my fingers crossed he didn't dare order in squid ink again...

Making my way through the front of the house, I see Alice and Jasper setting up tables. I glare slightly at Alice--she has an "I told you so" look on her face.

"Bella, you ready for tonight? We're fully booked. Probably going to turn the tables at least three times," Jasper says to me.

Alice winks at me and turns to Jasper, "How many tables are you giving me tonight? I know Edward brought in more servers..." She's pouting a bit, sticking out her bottom lip.

Jasper sighs slightly, "Fifteen, tops. Lauren's coming in tonight. I'll give the other four servers 10 tables."

Alice squeals happily, jumping to give Jasper a hug and a quick kiss on the cheek.

I shake my head at Alice, "I'll see you guys in a bit, prep time."

I hurry through the kitchen to the basement. After opening my locker, I throw my sweatshirt and purse in there. I walk back up the stairs, buttoning my chef coat.

I grab my roll-up from the rack and go to my station. To my amusement, it's already set-up with a note waiting on my cutting board.

_Bella,  
I prepped most of the items for tonight since we're working together. Check your reach-in for items that I may have forgotten. Do you think you can make a special tonight using the acorn squash? Keep the special from last night, too. Also, Jessica will be working the garde manager station tonight--tell her what needs to be done when she gets in. If you need anything, I'll be in my office.  
Edward_

I roll my eyes. Jessica, in the kitchen? She's going to throw the harmony that Edward and I work in. Great. Wonderful. Way to ruin my day already, Edward.

Instead of working myself into a worse mood, I decide to work on the special. I think I'll make a roasted acorn squash soup, with sour cream and bacon bits for garnish.

I open my reach-in under the counter and grab a few ingredients. Placing the squashes on my cutting board, I cut them in half and scoop out the seeds. I rub oil on the acorn halves and place them flesh side down in the hotel pan. Next, I take a couple handfuls of thick sliced onions and some garlic and add that to the pan. A little salt and pepper, and into the oven it goes.

While the squash is roasting, I decide set-up the garde manger station. I take the ingredients out of the reach-in under this station and place them in the cooling trays. Grabbing some paper, I write down the recipes for Jessica and tape them to the shelf in front of me. I just hope she can do her job right tonight.

Emmett walks through the doors, making his way to me. He smiles, "Guess what came in today on the order?"

I purse my lips, knowing what he's going to say.

"Come on, you know you want to guess," he teases.

"Burn cream," I spit out, making sure to glare at him.

He frowns, "Why did you have to spoil it?"

"Do you not remember yesterday? Everyone said we needed more burn cream."

He laughs, "So, what's it going to be tonight? Burn, cut, slip, fall down stairs, catch your coat on fire, burn off your eyebrows? I don't think I'm missing anything."

"What did Jasper bet I was going to do?"

"We haven't placed the bets tonight, but I thought I could get into your mind a little bit and see how the clumsiness actually works."

I smirk, "I might do something new. You never know with me."

He nods his head, "I'll check on you every five minutes, ok? I want to make sure I win tonight..." He pats my back and walks out of the kitchen.

I wonder if I will do anything clumsy tonight. Thinking back, I remember all the things I have done to myself while working here. I believe Emmett did miss something--ripping my pants open in the butt. I caught them on the side of the counter, making a dash to save something that was about to burn. Everyone was laughing that night and I couldn't figure out why until Edward said it. He told me as politely and professionally as possibly, minus the fact that he said my underwear was cute. I may have gone out to Victoria's Secret after that to stock up on cute underwear...Ok, I did.

I can smell the acorn squash, signaling to me that it's done. I take the pan out of the oven and place it on the counter to let it cool.

Alice comes into the kitchen, "What's the special, Bella? Same as yesterday?"

"Yep, and I'm making a roasted acorn squash soup, too. It has sour cream and bacon bits for garnish. Can you tell everyone else? I just took the squash out of the oven; it'll be ready in 30 minutes."

"Make sure you call me when it's ready. I want to taste it!" For someone as small as Alice, I wonder how she can eat so much.

I take a large soup pot off the rack and place it on the burners. I mentally check the other ingredients for the recipe. I have everything I need in the kitchen, except the heavy cream. Instead of going to the walk-in right away, I decide to scoop out the squash flesh and add it to the robocoupe. After I add the onions and garlic, I set the machine to puree and go downstairs.

When I enter the walk-in, Edward is organizing the shelves and putting the order away. He smiles when he sees me walking toward him.

"Did you read my note?"

I nod my head, "Yes, and I set up the station for Jessica. I even wrote the recipes for her."

He moves closer to me, inches from my body. My heart rate increases slightly; I hope the change won't be noticed. His smile turns into a goofy grin, his eyes humorous.

"What happened with Alice last night? It looked as though you were mad at her."

I find words hard to form at the moment. He has leaned in toward me, further than he has ever gone. I feel my cheeks burn under his scrutiny. His topaz eyes search mine for answers.

"You don't want to talk about it? If there's a problem between employees..."

I cut him off, "No! There's no problem between us. Just...girl problems."

Now he blushes, realization in his eyes of what I meant. I quickly refrain, "Not _those_ problems, just life problems."

I look into his face, watching his features rearrange into composure, his face releasing the blush. He shakes his head, causing his hair to fall in his eyes.

"Do we have heavy cream? I don't want to use whole milk and a roux for the soup tonight."

He points to a box on the floor, "You're in luck. Just got it in today. How many?"

I count the squash in my head and roughly estimate, "Eight quarts ought to do it. When will you be in the kitchen? Service starts in 45 minutes."

He takes my hand, "My dear, I'll be up soon to keep you out of trouble."

I blush, pulling my hand gently away, "I don't need saving...not yet anyway."

He laughs, "Do you know what they bet tonight?"

"Emmett told me they haven't yet. But I'm sure they'll be done soon."

He looks to the door, then back to me, "Then I'd better hurry. I have ten bucks saying you'll slip tonight."

"Edward!" I stare at him, shocked.

"Kidding, Bella. I'll see you up there in a bit. I'm still trying to figure out how to organize this cooler."

I shake my head at him. Every time we receive an order, Edward is in the walk-in for at least an hour, perfectly organizing it. He even labels the shelves for us. But what the worst part is, is tomorrow he'll be in here organizing it again. Can we say obsessive compulsive?

I walk through the kitchen, holding the quarts of cream. I pour them into the soup pot, then turn off the robocoupe. Taking the bowl, I add the squash mixture to the cream and stir slowly. Add a little salt and pepper, and turn the burner on medium low.

I hear the kitchen door open. Jessica come waltzing in, looking at me, her eyes registering shock.

"I thought you were off tonight, Bella. Edward said he was short-handed."

I roll my eyes slightly, "It's packed tonight. You're on garde manger." I point to the station I set up for her.

I turn back to my pot and stir again. I can hear Jessica mumbling something about not being alone with Edward now. Smiling, I start to whistle.

When the soup is finally finished, I take a bowl. I place a dollop of sour cream in the middle and a few bacon bits around it. Then I ladle some soup into the bowl, careful not to disturb the garnish too much. And on cue, Alice walks in.

"Soup?"

I hand her the bowl, "Just finished. Tell me what you think."

She takes a small sip off the spoon, her face relaxing, her eyes closing. "Again, you outdid yourself. How do you make it look so easy?"

I shrug my shoulders, "It's what I love to do."

Alice gives me a hug, "I'll get everyone else in here to try it." She walks out of the kitchen, leaving me alone, once again, with Jessica.

Slyly, I glace at Jessica and notice she is studying the recipes I left for her. She's repeating all the ingredients to herself. This is a good sign. Maybe there won't be a disaster tonight.

Before I know it, the sound of the printer printing tickets bring me back to the kitchen. I snatch the paper and quickly scan it.

"Table 12. Appetizers: carpaccio and fried calamari. Entrees: lamb, medium rare, duck, medium, tenderloin, well, and tuna, medium. Fire the appetizers, Jessica."

I look over to Jessica, whose eyes have glazed over. I stare at her for a few minutes, noticing she hasn't moved yet.

"Earth the Jessica! Fire the appetizers!"

Edward walks in the kitchen, stops in his tracks and looks at Jessica.

"I, um, I only do desserts..."

I sigh. Edward looks to me, warning written in his eyes.

Grumbling, I walk over to her and wave my hands in her face. "It's not that hard. Flour the calamari, toss in the fryer. Slice the beef paper thin. Arrange on plate. You're done. What don't you get?"

I stare at her for a few moments longer. Emmett will be in the kitchen in three minutes to pick up his appetizers. I glare at her, willing her to move, say something, do anything. She won't budge.

"Fine, I'll do it," I spit in her face, forcing her to back away.

It takes me two minutes to slice the beef, put the calamari in the fryer, and arrange the plates. Emmett walks in, noticing the tension written on everyone's faces,  
"What did you do yourself this time, Bella?"

I look at his smiling face and decide not to ruin his night, "Nothing, Emmett. Just communication problems on the garde manger station." I plate the calamari, popping it on the serving shelf.

He looks around for a few seconds before pulling the plates, then walks out the door. He's confused. There's never a problem in the kitchen.

I decide to fire the tenderloin first--it's going to take longer because of the well done order. Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Edward next to Jessica, his arm around her shoulder, whispering in her ear. She nods, then whispers something back. Her face lights up, her smile wide. Sickening, really.

I place the completed orders for Emmett on the side, waiting for him to come back. I won't plate until the server is in the kitchen, it's a rule.

Suddenly, orders start coming out of the printer. We've got six tables at once, and I start to read off the tickets.

Edward is by my side in a flash, reading over my shoulder. He ruefully smiles to me, almost an apology, "Let's get to it, Chef."

I salute him, which causes him to laugh, "Aye, aye, Captain."

We move in harmony, dancing around each other. It's similar to the ballet, without the clattering of pots, the light chatter, the sweat.

I watch as Edward delicately makes a plate, looking for any imperfections. I hand him a sprig of rosemary, receiving a murmured thank you.

We continue on like this for hours. Swapping stations, we take command of the kitchen and each other. I sneak a glance at Jessica, her face conveying jealousy.

"Bella, hand me the gnocchi."

I scoot over to my reach-in, take the bowl, and place it in his hand, "Ten for the dish, Edward."

He nods, thanking me silently. He continues to make the dish, while I finish up the appetizers.

The servers are hustling in and out of the kitchen, grabbing their food, thanking us, smiling. The only one who isn't smiling is Lauren. She, too, has noticed the dancing between Edward and me. Another one jealous. I don't have time to worry about her as well.

I check my watch, it's only 11. We still have another hour of service before we slow down. I glance over the tickets to make sure I'm not missing anything. That's when I notice Jessica and Lauren in a tight conversation, sly smiles on their faces. Why did Edward bring them in tonight?

I lean over the plate, carefully arranging the food. I feel a towel at my forehead, gently wiping the sweat. I look up to Edward. He smiles at me and shrugs, "Can't have Bella sweat in the food, though it might make it sweeter."

I blush, handing the dish to Alice. I hear her giggles, causing my face to turn more red.

Forty plates later, we're slowing down. Edward and I are standing side by side, leaning on the counter.

"I know I'll just jinx myself," I tell Edward, "But nothing's happened...yet."

He narrows his eyes in the direction of Jessica and Lauren, "Just be careful. Alice told me to watch out for you tonight."

When all the orders are complete, Edward and I start breaking down our stations. We finish in record time--20 minutes. Jessica hasn't broken her station down yet, and I could care less. It took her two hours to finally decide that salads are the easiest thing to make on the menu, not that many of them were ordered.

Mike is now leaning casually against Jessica's station, speaking low with her and Lauren. They keep looking over to Edward, then moving their eyes to me. I really wish had that listening devise; no one would be wiser because it looks like an mp3 player. Ha!

Finally, I'm able to unbutton my chef coat and let cooler air hit my skin. My jacket is taken off my shoulders by Edward, who slightly runs a finger over the back of my neck. I shiver, thinking if Alice could be right.

He grabs my hand, "Let's get a drink and relax."

He leads me out the kitchen; the glares of Jessica, Lauren, and Mike follow us.

_Definitions_

_Robocoupe: it's a super-food processor. Used for making large quantities. Typically foind in restaurant/commerical kitchens_

_Garde Manger: Cold station in the kitchen. Usually takes care of appetizers, salads, and desserts._

_Squid Ink: the liquid from a squid, and yes, it's pure black._

_Carpaccio: very thin sliced raw beef_

_If there's anything I forgot, please let me know. _

_cooky_


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: I swear I don't own it…and if I did, I wouldn't be writing this._

_Author's note: I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and a wonderful New Year! I'm sorry for the delay on this chapter, the little characters wouldn't work out their quarrels. Not my fault, I promise! Anyway, thank you to those who reviewed the last chapter! You make me so happy by your comments and suggestions! I'm already working on the next chapter, so it should be up soon, within the next couple of days. I promise to dedicate alot more time to this story than I have been in the past weeks. In other news, I just made a spiked hot chocolate/espresso called Aztec Slugger. It's so yummy and warms you up. If anyone wants the recipe, let me know and I'll get it to you right away. Enough author's notes! On to the story!_

Chapter 5

I'm sipping my third margarita right now. I don't know how Edward made me admit that I was starving, but I'm sure it was around the end of the second drink. A few minutes ago, he left to make us something special.

Jasper walks up to me, smiling, "You did great tonight, Bella. We had 300 covers, and not one complaint. Congrats." As he walks away, he rubs my back gently, patting my shoulder.

I smile to his back. Ever since I've been working here, business has been better or so I've heard. Even Alice told me it's because of the harmony Edward and I work in. Again, I'm not going to disagree.

"You look happy tonight. Want to talk about it?" Rose asks from the behind bar.

Alice is immediately at my side, "Yes! We want to know everything!"

I smile at their eagerness to hear about my day in the kitchen. Really, it's not all that interesting, except when they make it interesting.

"I don't know, really. I guess it has to do with how well Edward and I work in the kitchen together, especially tonight. I feel like we're dancing together, in a strange way."

Alice nods, "I've seen them, Rose. You should watch it one day. It's amazing how graceful Bella can be when Edward is around."

I glare at her, "Thanks."

She gives a little laugh, "Did you think about what I told you last night?"

Rose perks up a little, "You told her?" Her voice sounds accusing.

"She figured out you and Emmett. Does the supply closet ring a bell? She was closet peeping last night."

Rose laughs, "You honestly didn't know about us, Bella? I could have sworn we were pretty obvious. Or you just don't pay attention."

"That's the problem. I don't pay attention to other people. I pay attention to the food. I forget everything else when I'm cooking."

"Or for that matter, in staff meetings, too," Alice says, giving a light snicker.

I must be obvious to them, but to everything else I am oblivious.

Jessica and Lauren head over our way, after noticing our discussion. Gratefully, they couldn't hear it. Jessica has a tint in her eyes that I have yet to distinguish, but I know I don't like it.

"What are you talking about?" Lauren asks, greedily looking for gossip.

Alice comes to the rescue, "Bella and Edward."

At least I thought she was coming to the rescue. I groan, forcing all eyes to focus on my face. Alice gives me a smile, slyly moving her eyes back to Rosalie. Rose nods slightly, obvious to what Alice is about to do. And, again, I'm left in the dark.

Jessica's face tenses up, "What about them?" She puts on a fake smile, but her eyes show jealousy.

Rose jumps in and winks at me, "The connection between them…have you seen them in the kitchen? I wish I could move with Emmett like that."

"Same with Jasper and I. I'm jealous of you, Bella."

I blush, looking away from them. I notice Edward walking through the dining room with two plates and I give the girls a meaningful glance. Alice understands immediately; she turns the conversation to something else.

I decide not to pay attention to their ramblings, but rather focus on Edward making his way toward me. His smile is contagious--I can't help but beam back at him.

"I made you your favorite dish just the way you like it. Vodka Sauce with shrimp, extra parmesan," he says while handing me the plate.

"What did you make yourself?" I ask, slyly, wondering if I can steal some of his food as well.

He smiles, "Chef Bella's special." Then he blushes. "I enjoyed it so much last night, I couldn't resist making it again today. It's a shame you weren't in the kitchen with me while I was making it. It almost didn't feel right…."

Now it's my turn to blush. I'm starting to think Alice works some kind of voodoo or other magic around this place.

We begin to eat, slowly, savoring the flavors. I taste my pasta and it's incredible. The sauce is the exact sauce I make for every order. Yet, I have to wonder how Edward recreates my dishes without the recipes.

"How do you do it, Edward?"

He stops chewing, thinking about my question, "I pay attention to detail when you cook these dishes, Bella. Haven't you noticed me watching over your shoulder?" He takes his fork of food and offers it to me. I gratefully take the forkful, noticing it tastes exactly like mine, once again.

We eat in silence for a few moments, each of us picking food off the other's plate. As I grab my drink, I notice Rose and Alice watching us, smiling serenely in our direction.

Just as we finish eating, Jessica pops up behind Edward, her hands on his shoulders. "You look tense, let me massage your shoulders," she purrs seductively in his ears.

The look on his face is priceless. Trying not to laugh, I decided to drink some more of my Margarita and order another from Rose.

I can see Edward's face becoming red with anger. His face twists, almost contemplating what to do. Finally, he shrugs his shoulders out her grasp, "Have you broken your station down yet?" He gives her a meaningful glare.

She sighs, "I'm not exactly sure how to do it. I'm just the pastry chef, remember?" She pouts, putting her hand on his arm. "I thought maybe you could show me how to do it, so next time I know." And now, she has the nerve to wink. Wink!

Edward reluctantly turns to me, a small sad smile on his face, "Excuse me for a few moments, Bella."

I watch as Edward takes Jessica to the end of the bar. He leans into her, speaking low, his face dangerous.

"Oh, I wonder what he's saying," Alice quips, sitting in Edward's stool. "Rose, see if you can hear anything."

Rose nods, moving away from us. She begins to clear the empty glasses from the bar, stopping every now and then to see if they've moved yet. Lucky for us, the sink to wash the dishes is right at the end of the bar. I can see Rose's face light up with humor as she listens in to the conversation.

Alice and I observe the faces being made by Rose for a few moments. I grimace, wondering if Jessica is going to get her way again tonight. However, when I see her face become red with anger, I know she has lost. And I can't help but smile in victory.

Rose comes towards us, "We'll have to talk about that later; Edward doesn't seem thrilled. I don't think he noticed me, but the look in his eyes in terrorizing."

I nod my head to her, wondering what could have possibly happened. My mind stops working when I see Edward's face near mine.

"All taken care of. She's going to clean the entire kitchen, even the grease traps," he smiles, showing his perfect white teeth.

I can't help but give a slight laugh, counting my victories to two tonight. I look around to Alice, who just smiles, nodding her head. I sigh, considering my next course of action.

Deciding to forego my aforementioned plan, I feign tiredness, "I'm going to get out of here, guys. I'll see you tomorrow."

As I start to stand up, Edward grabs my hand, gently helping me to my feet. He leads me to the locker room in the basement. When we're in front of my locker, he stops, raises my hand to his lips, placing a gentle kiss upon my palm. I shudder slightly.

"Till tomorrow, Bella," he murmurs ever so softly. With a final glance to my heated face, he turns, walking slowly away.

As I turn around, I see Rose and Alice coming out of the shadows.

"We snuck down through the restaurant," Alice says, a shine in her eyes that I've never seen before. "There's a trap door behind the bar. Rose is the only one that knows about it. Well, Emmett too. That's how they get down here without anyone knowing."

I laugh. Leave it to them to figure out how to find a good spot for their little trysts. Rose smiles widely at me, giving a giggle.

"Ok, Rose, spill. What happened?" Alice starts bouncing on the balls of her feet, excited about the gossip.

"Alright, alright. Calm down, Alice. Everyone will know we're down here. You know how fast talk travels in this restaurant," Rose says, as she looks carefully around the locker room, before closing the door.

I wait patiently for Rose to start talking, but there is a knock on the door. I jump slightly, making a disappointed sigh.

"Come on! We wanna know too!" Emmett's voice booms from the other side of the door.

Rose shakes her head, walking to the door. She opens the door to reveal Emmett and Jasper waiting, their faces as excited as Alice's.

Jasper stands next to Alice, his arm around her waist, "Spill, Rose. We saw what was going on, but we didn't hear. And we know you did."

"My little sexy spy…" Emmett leans into Rose, giving her a lasting kiss on the check.

She brushes Emmett off, but not before quickly kissing his lips, "Kiddies, we have a shocking tale of lust and disgust on our hands. It is in our best interest to end the lust part."

She looks to each of us, "From what I heard, Jessica was basically begging Edward to help her break down the station so they could be alone. She said she wanted to talk to him about a couple of things, Lauren too. I believe they might've tag-teamed him."

Emmett snorts, "Tag-team? Do you want to start a new bet? And can we please include Bella in this?"

Rose lightly smacks him, "In either case, Edward basically told her to figure it out herself, because she'll be working the line a lot more after what happened tonight." She turns to me, her eyes asking the question before the words come out of her mouth.

I cut her off, "She blanked when I read the first ticket. I basically made her feel moronic by telling her how easy it was. Her excuse was she's the pastry chef. Half way through dinner, she finally figured out salads were the easiest thing on the menu!"

Alice, squeezing my hand, says, "There were only 2 salads ordered tonight. I did the count on the items when we closed."

I laugh, knowing Jessica had an easy night, but figure that it's not over yet. Breaking down the kitchen to completely clean it will take at least 3 hours. I know because we do it every month.

"Jessica tried to turn the tables on Edward, though. And, Bella, I think you'll find this the most interesting little tidbit. She said Edward was leading her on, putting his arm around her, whispering sweet nothings in her ear in the kitchen to make her feel better, always smiling, always trying to be alone with her. That's when he turned livid."

"Is that the reason Jessica had a red face? He shot her down?" Emmett, anxiously awaiting Rose's answer, starts bouncing much like Alice.

"Yes, he shot her down. I believe his line was 'I couldn't even fathom, not from the darkest recesses of my mind, why I would possibly want you. Or for that matter, what made you think that.' Needless to say, I don't quite think she understood it…"

Just then, I hear the door open again and the trio of terrible service in this restaurant walk in. I slightly narrow my eyes at them; I was enjoying listening to the gossip Rose had. And now it has to end.

"Oh Bella, what did Edward say when he walked you down here?"

Or does it?

I look to Alice, showing confusion written on my face. She winks at me, egging me on. I understand her plan immediately.

"I'm not talking about it, Alice. That's between us," I giggle, staring at Jessica under my hooded eyes. I can see her eyes bulge slightly, then narrow in my direction.

Rose jumps in, "I saw him kiss you, Bella. Spill."

Emmett and Jasper, their eyes exploding out their faces, start to mumble incoherently to each other. I also notice Emmett slip Jasper a twenty dollar bill.

"You bet on that, too?" I'm completely in shock.

"Wait!" Alice runs over to them, whispering in their ears. They shake their heads--the money is given back to Emmett.

"Wrong bet, Bella. No hard feelings, right?" Jasper makes his puppy dog eyes at me, while Alice rubs his chest.

"I want in on the bet, right now. And let me tell you something--I'm going to win," I hold my hand out, waiting for Jasper and Emmett to shake on it.

_I'm sure you can all figure out the bet...anyone want to guess?_

_I hope you enjoyed it. I set it up properly...it's going to get better, with a lot more Bella and Edward scenes...including the walk-in again!_

_love, cooky_


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: I don't own it._

_Author's Note: I figured since I wrote this chapter days ago, I would post it. Chapter 7 is completed and is going through the process of being read over for mistakes by myself. That may take a while. I hope you enjoy this chapter. A new character is introduced..ok, not technically a character, but we'll see more of in the next couple of chapters. BTW, some of what happens in this chapter did happen to me. I love bringing personal experiences into my stories! If you can guess what happened to me, I'll send you a preview of the next chapter. Enjoy! (Oh, and I'm excited to announce my story has over 3000 hits! Woot!)_

Chapter 6

Once I settle in at home, I change into my pajamas and climb into bed. I turn on the TV, flipping through the channels, waiting for something decent to show up. Finally, I decide on CSI.

As I watch the show, I notice how Sara and Gil's relationship is--complicated, yet full of love and passion. I want that. And I want it with Edward.

I vow to myself to let this relationship happen on its own. Pushing and rushing is one way of ruining something that might be the best thing to ever happen to you. Granted, I've never been in any relationship before, but I've learned from others.

I continue to let my mind wander through the various events of the past days. Never would I have guessed that I could find someone in my line of work. I've always heard horror stories about people who date in the restaurant industry. And many times, people quit or are fired. I don't want that to be my fate.

But I feel this is different. Yes, Edward is my boss, yet somehow, he is more than that. He's my friend, my fellow foodie, my dance partner in the kitchen, and my reason for going to work everyday. It seems to me that ever since Alice and I had that conversation, everything has been happening. I'm wondering if it's because I was finally made aware of this.

Debating on whether or not to continue with my musing, my body urges me to sleep. I agree, my eyes closing as soon as my head hits the pillow.

I arrive at the restaurant a little early. I can't help being early--I enjoy the quiet of the kitchen before the rush. While walking through the restaurant, I notice no one is here and I'm grateful for that.

In the kitchen, I set up my station and look through the notes Jasper left for me. We're booked solid again tonight. Another tense night, anyone?

I'm feeling in such a great mood, that I decide to set-up every station on the line. I also have an idea for a special tonight--something romantic. As I start to go through my reach-in, I notice a horrid smell that makes me gag.

I search through, not finding anything spoiled or out of date. I'm clueless until I see something hidden underneath an overturned lid.

"AHHHHHHHHH!! Holy shit! What the fuck is that doing in there?!?" I'm terrified. We've never had a rodent problem before and now there is a dead rat in my reach-in.

My screaming causes the rat to move. Oh no, I thought it was dead. It begins to bang around in the reach-in, coming in close contact with all the food (which will now have to thrown in the garbage). Finally, it sees me and squeaks, running as fast as it can toward opening, toward me. I scream again, toppling over, seeing the rat jump out of the reach-in and scamper away down the stairs.

After a few moments of lying on the floor, I gather my wits, sitting up. The only thing to do now is to completely clean out my reach-in, including disinfecting everything. Before I actually stand up, I make a mental note to tell Edward to call the exterminator.

It takes me only minutes to dump everything into the trash and place all the dirty containers by the dishwashing station. I grab a bucket of hot water with bleach in it and a rag, setting about to disinfect the cooler.

After I'm finished with the cooler, I find the cause of the horrid smell under my reach-in. It's a piece of salmon that has been sitting out for I don't know how long. I quickly grab it with a fork and toss it in the garbage.

I head downstairs to the walk-in with new containers to restock my now empty reach-in. I grab a cart on my way in to place everything on, saving me several trips in and out of the cooler.

Once inside the cooler, I head to the vegetables, grabbing a few of each and placing them in a deep hotel pan. I see eggplant on the shelf, and come up with an idea for the special. I take the whole case, placing it on the cart.

The door opens, and in walks Edward. I smile to him, seeing his face light up as our eyes meet.

"Fancy meeting you here, chef," he murmurs, walking to my side.

"Why is it that we always meet in here? Do you have a camera, secretly watching me from above the door?" Smirking, I take my finger, poking him in the chest.

A laugh from erupts from his mouth, gentle and sweet, "Would you like that? Me watching your every move. Mesmerized by noticing how graceful you are in the kitchen." Now he gently pokes my nose, "It's a shame it would be in black and white, though. I do love it when you blush."

Now I blush, lowering my eyes to the floor, "Thank you." It comes out a whisper, softer than intended.

I feel my chin being lifted by his fingers, ever so softly grazing my skin, causing my face to heat faster. He stares into my eyes, a calm of the ocean in them, "Do you feel it as well?"

I tremble, knowing that he is talking about the electric current running through both of us, hearts beating loudly, breathing becoming shallow, temperature rising. "Yes," I manage to choke out, without stuttering.

He steps closer to me, and I take a step backwards. We continue this way for a few more steps until I am trapped against the back of the cooler, my breath catching in my throat as I hit the cold wall.

He stands closer to me, his hands on either side of my head, pressing against the wall, "Are you hurt?" Concern shows in his eyes; I shake my head in response.

"Are you cold?"

Again, I shake my head.

He smiles, "Are you hot?"

Now, I nod my head, the feeling in my body become more electric, more intense.

He laughs lightly, leaning closer to my face, "Why is that, Bella?"

I sigh, my body shaking, "Because...because...you..."

His hands move to my face, each gently caressing my cheeks, "Me?"

I look into his eyes, wondering if this is dream. This can't be though, everything feels so real.

"Yes, you," I gather my courage, for I believe I will need it in the next few moments.

"And what have I done to you to make you so hot, Bella?" The way he says my name has me melting in this cold walk-in.

Shivering slightly from the closeness of his mouth to my ear, I lean toward his face and decide to play his game. Smiling, I whisper, "What _have_ you done to me, Edward?"

He pulls back a little, looking in my eyes. I try to stay as calm and collected as possible, but I can feel myself failing.

Coming closer, he whispers, "What about what _you_ have done to _me_, Bella?"

I give a little giggle, not able to contain it anymore, "What have I _exactly_ done to you, Edward?" I find his name coming out of my mouth easy, playful, caressing my tongue.

He stares at me for a few moments, concentrating. He closes his eyes, smiling, shaking his head, "Bella..." It almost comes out as a warning.

He leans closer, this time his eyes focusing on my lips. My heart beats faster than I imagine is healthy. I stand perfectly still, trying to breathe.

"There you are, Edward."

And our perfect moment is ruined. The voice belongs to none other than Jessica. I'm really starting to despise her...

He smiles, apologizing with his eyes, "Ah, see? It was just a little piece of fuzz on your eyelash." His fingers gently graze by the side of my eye, causing me to hold my breath.

"I'm not disturbing anything, am I?" Jessica comes closer to us, noticing my red face, glaring at us.

"Not at all, Jessica. I was just helping Bella with a little vision problem." He shows her a little piece of fuzz that came out of nowhere.

She continues to glare at me, but turns to Edward, smiling, "Thank you for setting up my station today. That was really _sweet_ of you." She squeezes his arm, winking.

He looks at her confused, "That wasn't me. I'm sure it was Bella. You should thank her, you know."

She looks to me, forcing a little smile, "Thank you, Bella."

I can feel the tension in the air, the crowdedness of the cooler, "If you two will excuse me, I'm restocking everything in my reach-in. I kind of need to move around in here..."

"Of course. Do you want me to make the special tonight, instead? You've done so much these past couple of nights," Edwards asks, leaning against the shelves.

"I was thinking of doing something with the eggplant. What do you think?"

"That's a good idea. How about I take these items upstairs and wait for you?" He gathers my pan and the case of eggplant.

"Sure, thanks. I won't be long," I say to his retreating back.

Once Edward is out of the cooler, I turn to Jessica, "You don't need to restock anything in your reach-in unless your station has a rush later on during service."

She nods her head, turning toward the door, "Why are you restocking your entire reach-in, anyway?" She gives me a wide smile, leaving me alone to gather my ingredients.

When I'm finished in the walk-in, I make a couple of trips upstairs to carry all the containers. Edward notices my heavy pile, and moves quickly to unload them from my arms.

"Is there a specific way you want them in your reach-in?" He bends down, staring into the cooler.

"However you want them, you use it, too," I say over my shoulder, heading back downstairs to grab the rest of them.

Once everything is placed in my cooler by the perfectionist, I think about the eggplants. Suddenly, an idea hits me.

"Let's do an eggplant roulade, with breadcrumbs, sausage, mushrooms, mozzarella, and tomato sauce. Serve it over some pasta. What do you think?"

Edwards look at me, a smile on his face, "Sounds wonderful. What should I prep?"

I quickly set him on slicing the eggplant paper thin, while I work on the filling. To start, I take the sausage out of the casing, crumbling it with my fingers, and adding it to a heated sauté pan. Next I grab the rest of my ingredients and walk over the robocoupe.

When my items are finely chopped, I add them to the sausage pan, flipping them, making sure everything is distributed evenly. I add a bit of tomato sauce to finish the filling.

"Edward, did you finish the eggplant?" I look over to his station, noticing many sheet pans lined with paper-thin white and purple sheets. The mandaline is sitting on his cutting board, an eggplant in his hand, half way though the slice.

"Last one. What's next?" He continues to slice the eggplant, gently placing each sheet on the pan.

I watch him for a few moments longer, noticing his delicate fingers trying not to bruise or puncture the fragile eggplant. I shake my head of the daze I have just begun, "Brush a little olive oil on them, salt and pepper. Put them in the oven at 250 degrees for 30 minutes. They should be easy to roll by then."

He nods to me, grabbing the olive oil, salt and pepper. Again, I watch him brushing the oil on the eggplant sheets, sprinkling them with the seasoning. It's mesmerizing to watch him work--however, I do have more work to complete before service starts.

Once the eggplant is cooled, we begin the process of rolling the little roulades. I place a tablespoonful of the stuffing toward the end of the sheet and gently roll. Edward follows my instructions; he starts an assembly line with me. Within 30 minutes, we have 125 roulades ready for dinner and our hands are hurting.

I stretch my hands, making sure to work my fingers in and out of a fist. I see Edward doing the same thing, a small grimace on his face. "Hurts that bad?"

He shakes his head, his eyes focused on the door to the kitchen, "It will soon."

Jessica and Lauren walk into the kitchen, standing by the garde manger station, whispering to one another. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Jessica pretend to scream and fall over. They both bust out laughing loudly, shifting their eyes toward me.

And now I have a feeling who put the rat in my cooler, watching me as I met the large rodent. I wonder if they had the decency to catch it, or if it's still running around downstairs. Two can play that game. I only hope I can at least talk Emmett and Rose into my plan.

I turn back to Edward, startled by the printer. Tickets, already? I check my watch, thinking it's too early for service. Sadly, I'm wrong; we've been open for five minutes.

Alice comes running into the kitchen, a large smile on her face, "Guess who's out there, guys?"

We shake our heads to her, curious.

She bounces a little, "The owner and his wife!"

My eyes bulge out, a shaky breath comes out of my mouth, "What do they look like?"

I've never met the owner of the restaurant. He left all responsibility for hiring to Jasper and Edward. They take care off all the bookwork and email it to him every week. Once a month, the owner stops in to have a meeting with his two people in charge. I believe the only people who have met are Edward, Jasper, and now Alice.

Alice giggles, "Normal, Bella. They look normal. Anyway, they requested that Chef Bella create them something extraordinary. And for you to eat dinner with them, along with you, Edward."

_Definitions:_

_Roulade: a rolled food item, normally stuffed and covered in breadcrumbs and fried or drenched in sauce._

_Mandanline: Hand-held slicer for slicing things paperthin that won't work on a real commercial slicer._

_I think that's only the definition for food this time around..._

_love, cooky_


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: I wish I owned something, anything...I don't even have my own cookbook! Therefore, nothing is mine._

_Author's Note: I updated a day early...So...I'm dedicating this chapter to **Annilaia **who begged ever so wonderfully through PM. I do hope your bottom feels better though. There's nothing else to say about this Chapter, except that this one didn't even take me a whole 2 hours to write! Woot! Chapter 8 is in the works. You'll have to start being more patient though...I'm starting work this upcoming Tuesday and it takes up most of my time. But I promise to dedicate at least 45 minutes a day to writing :-D Enjoy the chapter!_

Chapter 7

I rack my brain for something incredible to make the owner and his wife. Staring at Edward, I notice his face is is slightly red, mumbling something under his breath.

"Are you okay, Edward?"

He turns to me, "I'm fine. Just thinking about that dish. I know they want you to make it, but I figured I can give you some input."

"I'd appreciate that," I turn back to my station, mentally going over everything that we keep in stock in the restaurant.

A little light bulb forms in my head, growing bigger as my ideas create themselves. My eyes close and I imagine the dishes as I prepare them, how I plate them, how they taste. Yes, I will serve them a five course meal.

Alice comes up to me, "Bella, whatever you decide to make, I know they'll love it. Everything you make...I can't help but want to eat it. Just do what you feel is right..."

I smile at her, "Thanks, Alice. I'll keep that in mind."

Looking through my reach-in, I take a couple of things out, plopping them noisly on my work space. Just as I shut the door, I see the rat hiding under the counter. "You little shit..." I grab my steel from the cutting board and start poking around at the rat. He, however, has different ideas by dodging my prodding.

Once I stop poking, I glare at the rat, the evilest glare I possibly muster up. I'm sure it wasn't as evil as I think it was, but I can pretend.

The rat screeches at me, running toward the end of the counter by Jessica's work station. I smile, hoping he'll give her some hell tonight instead of me.

And that's when I notice a hand holding a piece of food, an offering for the little offender. He sniffs the fingers, then the food. Just as he's about to grab the food, he looks back at me, almost patronizing me for letting him get away.

I stand up quickly, hoping to catch the owner of the hand, but instead bang my head on the edge of the counter.

I fall back down to the floor, a sad chuckle escaping my lips, "Who bet I would hit my head on the counter? They win!"

Edward kneels down next to me, concern showing in his eyes, "Bella, what were poking at under the counter?"

I decide now is not the time to tell Edward about my little nuisance, "Nothing, just cobwebs." I give him a sheepish smile. In return, he cocks his head, looking utterly confused.

My first order of action is to talk Jessica into making a decadent dessert that I created a while ago. I run to my recipe cards, grabbing the one marked _flourless chocolate hazelnut cake._ I turn to Jessica, "Hey Jessica, are you interested in making a different dessert tonight? It doesn't take too long and I'm sure you can handle it."

She eyes me suspiciously. Ok, so I have to be careful what I say to persuade her. I start again, "I really don't think I can manage to make this recipe. You know, I'm only a _line cook_."

Her face lights up, her eyes showing victory, "Of course, Bella. Let me have the recipe, I'll get right on it."

I hand her the card, "Thank you."

Walking back to my station, I'm still considering all the other courses to make them. A few moments later, my game plan is set. Now, to make it work.

I decide to go a little out of my element of comfort tonight. We'll be making dishes that I hope will come out wonderful, meeting their expectations.

"Edward, how are we going to manage to eat dinner with them and complete service tonight?" I look a little worried; I can tell from the way he is looking back at me he is feeling the same.

"Give me just a few moments. I'll have a word with them," he begins to walk out of the kitchen, but turns back to me. "Smile, Bella."

I blush at his words and give him what he wants. He smiles in return, leaving the kitchen.

It's now a little after 5, the printer has been running for the past ten minutes. The tickets are coming out, backing us up slightly. Jessica has made progress tonight, agreeing to make two of the appetizers as well as the salads.

Edward and I have been making the orders nonstop for the past half hour. We move swiftly around one another, calling out dishes, ingredients, and silly things.

In all the turmoil of the rush, I haven't had a chance to ask Edward what the owner said. Finally when we're plating a dish, I find the opportunity, "Edward, what did they say?"

He adjusts a piece of basil leaf on the plate, "They'll wait until we're done with the rush. Something about them watching you cook and eating in here as well."

I nod my head, wondering why they would want to watch me. I place that thought on the back burner; more tickets are being printed for tonight.

We continue to cook for the customers in the dining room. I move around Edward, bend down into the reach-in, and stand back up only to be greeted by Emmett.

"I won!"

"What?" I feel confusion written all over my face, not to mention the fact that I am swamped right now.

He comes around the line, grabs me into a fierce hug, while swinging me around, "I won the bet! You hit your head! YES!!!"

I feel several pots hit my feet as they fly off the stove and stations. He finally stops spinning me and gently sets me back on the floor. I wobble a little bit, knocking into Edward.

When I gather my wits and my balance again, I finally look at Emmett, "That's nice. Do I get half the profit?"

He jerks his head toward me, his eyes narrowing, "Why?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe there's another bet going on around here. And maybe you wouldn't want another person to know about it since one of the parties that you are betting on found out about it."

He stares at me, in shock I'm sure. I mentally pat myself on the back, counting my victories to three.

I hear Edward clear his throat behind me, "There's food that needs to be cooked..."

"Right, and there's food that needs to be served. Where's table 22 at?" And with that, Emmett, feigning stupidity, walks out of the kitchen.

Edward laughs behind my back, "You know, I should bet on you, and give you everything I get out of it. What do you think?"

"You mean, rig the bet?" I ask him, while I place a chicken breast in a hot pan. The oil sizzles around the breast, the seasoning hitting my nose.

"Exactly," he hands me some fresh tarragon for my chicken. "And while we're talking about bets, what bet were you talking about?"

Because I feel the blood rushing to my cheeks and his eyes peering into mine, I drop the pan I was grabbing to start another dish.

I bend down to pick it up, hoping this will distract him from asking me anymore questions. That's when I spot that damn rat under the stoves, chewing on half a cucumber.

I grab the pan and slide it under the stove with as much force as possible. Sadly, it only makes it half way to the rat, who I swear snickers at me. Tonight, if it's the last thing I do, I will catch that rat and put it in Jessica's purse!

Getting back up, I give a shy smile to Edward, "The handle was a bit greasy. Guess I grabbed it too quickly." A nervous laugh later, and I'm back to cooking my dishes.

Another couple of hours fly by unnoticed by myself. When I finally check my watch, it reads 9:30 pm. I inhale a large breath, only 3 more hours to go.

With all the servers running in and out of the kitchen, we're finally able to keep up with the orders. It annoys me to no end when they're running late to pick up the food. Well, it annoys me when Lauren and Mike are late.

An hour later, a twelve top decides to come into the restaurant. We receive the order via the printer; Edward and I are completely on top of the table.

Swiftly, we call out which dishes we each decide to take, but not before we agrue about them. I quickly call the pastas, leaving Edward with six different meat dishes, all at different temperatures.

He whines, "Not fair, Bella. You stole all the easy ones!"

I pump my fist in the air, "First call, Edward! You said that several months ago. I remember you did that to me on a twenty top. Taking only four pastas...leaving me with the rest. I still don't think I've forgiven you for that night."

He gives me his best I'm-sorry-I-did-that-to-you-before-but-will-you-please-forgive-me-now-and-take-some-of-the-meat-dishes look. I shake my head at him, "There's no such thing as a lazy chef in _my_ kitchen, get to work!"

Groaning, he goes into my reach-in, taking out the items for his dishes, mumbling something along the lines of "slave driver, can't believe her, _her kitchen?_, _**it's my kitchen!"**_.

Smiling to myself, I start to work on the pasta dishes. Within no time, we're both on track of plating the dishes. Just as I reach for the last hot plate left, I feel fingers start to run up my side. I start giggling, dropping my hand away from the plate. I start swatting at the fingers with closed eyes. Suddenly the tickling stops.

My eyes open, noticing Edward has the last plate in his hands, some food already on it. He smiles at me sheepishly, "Taught you to give me orders, woman."

I pretend to be shocked at his words, "Woman? _Woman? _I'll give you woman later in the walk-in!"

"I'll hold you to that, Bella," he whispers in my ear.

As I feel myself blush blood red, I groan. Note to self, think before you speak, woman!

I yell for Tyler to give us more plates on the hot plate. I'm still imagining how we ran out so early into service, but decide not to dwell on it. As long as we get our plates, I'll be happy. And then the customers will be happy.

Tyler runs over with a stack of plates, smiling widely at me, "Here you are, Chef. Sorry about that."

I nod to him, "Thanks."

After the twelve top is plated, I decide to take a break. Grabbing a milk crate, I set it toward the back wall of the kitchen, plopping myself on top of it.

Edward follows suit, grabbing a green crate instead of the awful brown that I'm sitting on. He sits next to me, sighing, "Is this night ever going to end? I think we've done over 300 covers already..."

I stare at him, "You want the exact count?" He nods his head, smiling. I wave Alice over, who just decided to come bouncing in the kitchen, "How many covers tonight, wee server?"

She gives me a light glare, humor in her eyes, "Give me a minute. I'll ask Jasper."

She rushes out of the kitchen, her black spiky hair never moving on her head.

Just as I'm about to say something to Edward, the rat makes his appearance in the middle of the floor behind the line. _Behind the line! _The nerve of him! I start toward him, but Edward puts his hand out stop me.

He looks at the rat, then to me, "That's what been going on tonight. I just saw your face. You have it in for that little guy." He shudders, laughing silently. "Don't worry. I know who did it. Do you have any food?"

"No, I don't. I'm not a reach-in," I say, annoyed that he's showing a slight affection toward my nemesis.

I'm shocked when Edward starts rummages through my pants pockets, "You're right. You're not." He gives me a crooked grin, showing me a piece of carrot.

I shake my head at him, a ghost of a smile playing at my lips, "Are you seriously going to try to get him over here?"

Alice comes back into the kitchen, causing the rat to go back into hiding. Edward swears quietly next to me, his eyes searching the entire floor.

"The kitchen is at a total of 362 covers tonight. Almost an all time high for a Saturday. If you did 138 more, you'd hit the 500 mark, matching the highest night...Valentine's Day. But that isn't for another month, so don't worry," she gives us a wink, playing with her tie.

She looks at Edward curiously, "Why are you holding a carrot?"

He looks down in his hand, "To feed my rabbit." And he thrusts the carrot toward my mouth, focing it between my lips. I give it a hard bite, causing little pieces to go flying at him.

"And here I thought you might give me a preview for our meeting later in the walk-in," he winks at me, causing me to almost choke on the carrot in my mouth.

As I, once again, turn beet red, Alice gives a hearty laugh, "Oh, they're going to love this up front!" She turns on heels, running out the door at an inhuman pace.

Groaning, I lightly smack Edward on the arm. He playfully smacks me back, letting his hand linger on my shoulder, his fingers gently playing with my chef coat. I sigh at his touch, causing a shudder to flow through my body. He smiles at me, a sexy smile that means he took my earlier warning serious.

Rose interrupts us, "Bad news, guys. The owner and his wife ran into some friends. They're in the dining room now. They don't want to be rude, but they would like to meet you, Bella."

She extends her hand for me, gently helping me up from my mock chair, "You ready for this?"

I nod my head, giving her light smile, "I'm not going to the electric chair."

Rose and Edward raise their eyebrows, laughing. As she leads me out of the kitchen, Edward yells, "Tell my parents I said hi!"

My shocked face is the one that I meet the owner, his wife, and their friends with.

_Another Note: There are no definitions. Sorry:-D _

_love, cooky_


	8. Chapter 8

_Disclaimer: Not mine._

_Author's Note: First and foremost, I am proud to announce that** anaryon** has chosen my story as her story of the month! I'm seriously excited about this. Her review of my story is wonderful and I must say, I'm sorry about the cliffhangers. I like them, plus it keeps the reader's interest. In any case, thank you **anaryon** for giving me this wonderful review and for choosing my story! Can you tell I'm excited about this? Anyway, here's the chapter you've all been waiting for...Bella meets the owners! Just to let you know, Chapter 9 is half-way finished, I spent most of the night last night working on it. I'm loving that chapter already. If you would like a preview, let me know. I'm feel awfully generous right now... Enjoy the chapter! (And thanks to those that reviewed. Because of you, I've had to work extra hard at work to have time to update today :-D)_

Chapter 8

"Chef Bella, it's a pleasure to meet you finally," he smiles to me, extending his hand. "I'm Carlisle Cullen, and this is my wife, Esme." The woman next to him stands, smiling.

As I shake his hand, I look both of them over. Carlisle is young looking, with blond hair, and handsome. Esme is also young looking, with caramel-colored hair, and very beautiful.

"Nice to finally meet you as well, Mr. and Mrs. Cullen." I give them a shy smile, hiding my eyes toward the floor.

"Please, call me Carlisle."

Still smiling, I look at the rest of the table, noticing many more faces, and not wanting to be introduced. Sadly, I know it's coming.

"Bella, these are some of our friends who we ran into tonight. I won't go through all the names; I'm sure you have a lot on your mind tonight." He smiles graciously at me.

The rest of the table murmurs their hellos to me; I say it back generously. That's when I finalize the count to twelve. Light dawns on me. It's the twelve top that I took all the easy dishes for. I sigh, knowing I should have split the ticket even with Edward. I might apologize when I go back into the kitchen. Might.

As my internal arguing continues, Carlisle lightly touches my arm, "If you have a few moments, I'd like to invite you to join us."

I nod, sitting to his left. Mike comes around the corner, giving a startled expression. I understand why, too--I'm never in the dining room, let alone sitting with the customers.

Alice bounces to the table, winking at me, "Is there anything I can get you? Edward is in the kitchen alone, so order anything you'd like."

Laughter erupting from the table, Carlisle looks to Alice, "Tell him to make some dinner for Bella. She looks starved." He turns his eyes toward me, " I hope he isn't working you too hard."

"No, actually we share most of the work in the kitchen," I stare at Esme, her features gentle, loving, at the mention of Edward.

I watch as Alice goes into the kitchen, thinking of something to say to fill the lack of conversation.

However, Esme speaks first, "We've heard a lot about you from Edward. You seem to be pulling all the strings in the kitchen lately." She winks at me, her eyes humorous.

I want to argue, but decide against it. Instead, I gaze back at her, "Someone has to put Edward in his place." Playfully, I give a light laugh; it's received well.

I think back to what Edward said as Rose was dragging me out of the kitchen. Without really thinking about it, I blurt out, "You're really Edward's parents?"

They laugh, smiling. Esme, with an approving look, says, "I didn't think he would tell anyone. Apparently, he trusts you."

I'm confused, "Why wouldn't he? I mean, I would love it if my dad opened a restaurant..."

Carlisle cuts me off, "Oh, don't think he's ashamed. It's not that at all. Edward is just very held back like that."

Esme, silently agreeing with Carlisle, says, "I'm sure you noticed he's very quiet about his life outside the restaurant."

"He doesn't say much about anything, really," I respond, showing them appreciation for their honesty.

"Apparently, the fact that Jasper, Emmett, and him are brothers is the next best kept secret around this place," Esme, peering at me, gives me a wide smile.

Hmm, the three of them are brothers? I wonder if Alice knows.

"Yes, Bella, of course I knew that!" Alice appears behind me with a plate. "Edward said you would appreciate the hard work he put into this dish." Smiling, she hands me the plate of food.

Not paying attention to the dish, I set it down in front of me. I grab my fork and knife, unfold my napkin, and place it on my lap. That's when I look down.

"He made me a peanut butter and jelly?" I'm astonished he would have the guts to serve this to me in front of his parents. Staring at the plate, I start to think of ways to get him back.

"At least he cut the crust off, dear," Esme says, trying to contain her laughter.

"And it looks like he put on extra jelly. Just the way you like it, Bella," Alice says from behind me.

I peel apart the pieces of bread, inspecting the jelly. It's grape. I hate grape. Smiling, I turn to Alice, "Tell the Chef this is unacceptable. I prefer blackberry jelly with my peanut butter." I try to sound as haughty as possibly. It might have worked.

"Of course, ma'am. Right away," Alice skips away, holding the plate carefully.

Turning to Carlisle and Esme, I notice they are trying to hold in their laughter. I let out a rich laugh, causing Emmett to rush my way.

"What did I miss? Did you do something again? Am I going to win? What happened?" He begs, eyes wide like a young child's.

I shake my head, explaining what I did to Edward. Emmett, finding humor in every situation, looks at me, "Want to bet on him?"

"What do you have in mind, Emmett?" I glance over his face, trying hard to keep my seriousness in tact.

"Well, I've got ten bucks--"

Carlisle cuts in, "Too late. Here comes the Executive Chef himself."

Every head turns in the direction of the kitchen. Edward, in all his glory, is carrying a single plate, an evil smirk on his face. I don't think I'm going to like this at all.

"I'm sorry it wasn't up to your standards. Please, excuse my ignorance," he hands my plate back to me, still giving that smirk.

Again, I inspect the sandwich, this time with blackberry jelly. I turn my eyes to his, "I guess this will be fine to eat. Though, you didn't cut the crust off this time."

Suddenly, my butter knife is in his hands. He leans over me, brushing against my shoulder lightly, his stomach touching part of my back. Carefully, he cuts off the crust, then continues to cut the sandwich into four little triangles. He admires his work for a few moments, "Do you want me to feed it to you as well?" It's a soft whisper in my ear, his hot breath causes me to blush and shiver.

Edward stands behind me, his hands on the back of my chair, inches away from my arms. His fingers start tapping the chair, almost nervously, "So...what brings you guys here tonight? You never mentioned it to us this morning when we met for breakfast."

Carlisle clears his throat, a considerate look on his face. Suddenly, a strange glint forms his eyes, "We wanted to meet Bella."

Esme seems to take cues from her husband, "Yes, you've been talking about her for so long."

I feel the blood rushing to my cheeks, wondering how I can easily excuse myself from this situation of "let's embarrass Bella!".

Emmett stands behind Esme, his hands on her shoulders, "You're right, mom. We've heard so much about Bella. Edward, why do you talk about her so much?" His gaze is scrutinizing Edward, challenging him to talk.

"Really? And you talking about Rosalie all the time doesn't bore us to death then, Emmett?" Edward's voice is low, almost dangerous, above me.

I wish I could see his reactions to the questions they are forcing on him right now. Sadly, I know I cannot tilt my head back, in fear of bumping into his chest. I guess I'll just have to go on his voice instead.

I listen to Emmett and Edward bickering some more, watching the faces of their parents. I notice humor, but careful expressions on both of them. I'm sure it's in fear of something that might be said. After a few more moments, Jasper walks over.

Quietly, he stands between the two, putting his arms around their shoulders, whispering, "You're ruining my dining room atmosphere. If you must bicker like little girls, take it into the kitchen. The guests are starting to ask questions." He stalks off, an angry look on his face.

Edwards bids his parents and their guests good night. Looking toward me, he says, "I'll cover your station for the time being. But you'll owe me _later_."

Immediately I understand. _"I'll show you woman later in the walk-in!"_ I groan, but remind myself that I wouldn't mind a little tryst in the walk-in...

Over the course of the next half hour, I enjoy myself immensely talking with Carlisle and Esme. They told me about opening the restaurant as an outlet for their sons to explore the industry. The three share many major responsibilities in the day to day operations. Carlisle is quite impressed that they haven't ruined the place yet.

Once the conversation turned, my curiosity got the better of me again. You know the saying "Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back." Well, here's my chance.

"How did you come up with the name for this restaurant, Carlisle?" I ask, genuinely interested in the name _Nakita._

"Ah, yes. That is quite a sad story," he says, looking somberly at me. "Edward actually named the place. Nakita was the name of his dog. She died a few years ago, right before we opened up. He begged us to give her name to the restaurant as a reminder of the happiness she brought him."

Esme takes his hand, "He was distraught when she had to be put to sleep. Nakita was 12 years old, a giant brute, but extremely lovable. Edward felt as if he lost one thing he truly loved."

Sadness sweeps over me, reminding me of the time I had lost my dog. I try not to become too emotional.

"Then he turned to cooking, as an outlet for forgetting the pain, I suppose. He's loved creating food and everything about this industry since we opened. I think it's his way of still showing love to Nakita," Carlisle finishes.

"What kind of dog was she?" I remember someone saying you'll know a lot about a guy by the kind of dog he owns.

Esme answers, "An Alaskan Malamute. She truly was a wonderful friend to Edward."

I smile at them, showing how much I appreciate their openness with me.

After a while, I bid them all good night. I receive a light hug from Carlisle and a tight one from Esme. Before she lets go of me, she whispers in my ear, "Passion comes in so many forms for so many things. Don't let food be your only love."

I feel my eyes widen at her comment, but realize a mother's words are always wise.

As I walk back to the kitchen, I go over everything I have learned tonight. With a bounce in my step, similar to Alice's, I make my way back my station.

Edward is slightly backed-up behind the line. There are ten tickets hanging off the rack and only three are moved to the side. I take a deep breath, folding my sleeves to my elbows and jump in to help.

He notices me immediately, "Bella, can you take those two tickets at the end? They've been there for at least ten minutes. I don't want Jasper's customers questioning me anymore..." Though he says it with a little anger, I can see the humor in his eyes.

"Aye, aye, Chef."

Taking the tickets, I read them over. Two tables of five. Slightly groaning, I begin the process of making their food.

Moving a quickly as possible, I manage to make the ten dishes within 22 minutes. Yes, I time myself when we're in the middle of the rush.

Lauren comes in the kitchen, a wide smile on her face, "Edward, I need the food for table six." She winks at him, whistling.

Rolling his eyes to me, he turns to Lauren, "Bella has your ticket."

Her smile falters as she walks to me. Before she can even respond, I have her dishes done and waiting on the hot plate. To finalize it, I grab the ticket off my station, plop it next to a plate, and say, "Order up!"

Out of the corner of my eye, I see Lauren give Jessica a slight nod and a thumbs up. I'm definitely bringing in my little listening device tomorrow. I wonder who I should lend the other to...

I don't know who the next ticket is for, but I decide to pick up some dishes that are making Edward lag behind. Working in harmony, we clear the rest of the tickets in record time. It's not that hard to clear eight tickets; we've cleared thirty before within an hour.

When we're completely finished with the plates, Edwards turns to me, "Thanks. I guess you do the run _your_ kitchen quite efficiently." He gives me his wonderfully crooked smile, staring me in the eyes. "However, I still can't wait to see you being a woman later..." He turns away from me, looking at the kitchen doors, a slight blush creeping on his cheeks.

I look at my watch; it's reading 11:42 pm. I sigh, glad the night is practically over. Normally, we have a stragglers coming in at this hour. A few of them order appetizers; the rest order drinks from Rose.

Alice walks into the kitchen, no bounce in her step this time. She looks a little down, completely unlike her. She give me a waning smile, "I'm beat. Jasper gave me extra tables tonight...including that twelve top. My feet hurt." I've never heard her use a whiny voice before.

"Perhaps he'll rub your feet for you, Alice. I know how much you like pedicures. Maybe Jasper will even paint your toe nails," Edward says this in a hushed voice, but not without grinning.

Alice brightens up immediately, "I wonder if have any pale pink nail polish..." She trails off, wandering out of the kitchen, a far away look in her eyes.

Laughing, I turn to Edward, "How did know what to say to her?"

"Ever since they started dating, they're inseparable. Alice is always over by our place, giving us fashion tips, trying on new clothes, or something along those lines. I figured that would suit her. Plus, I get Jasper back for earlier," he says, giving me another sexy smile.

"Why do you keep it a secret about the three of you?" I ask him, genuinely interested in his story.

"That, my dear, is not an interesting story. However, I will tell you, but this is neither the place nor the time. We're having visitors come up the stairs," he grabs my hand, dragging me through the kitchen into the dining room.

Calling Emmett over, he forces us into a booth for only two people. Somehow I ended up wedged between the wall and Edward's side. Whispering low, he looks directly into Emmett's face, "Did you find it?"

A wide smile, "Yes."

"Did you do what you were supposed to with it?"

An even wider smile, "Oh yes."

"Is everything else in order, then?"

"Completely, sir. Just waiting."

I smile, shaking my head. I have absolutely no idea what is going on, but I like the way things are sounding.

Edward's hand drifts down below table, gently resting on my thigh. My leg accidentally jumps up, causing his hand to be smashed.

Biting my lip, I whisper, "Sorry, you scared me."

He shakes his head at me, a small smile at his lips, "What am I going to do with you?"

I can tell Emmett is listening in very close. He doesn't want to lose the bet, and neither do I. I'm going to win tonight--I'll make sure of that!

Finally, Edward looks toward Emmett, "Good. Very good. Actually, excellent." And Edward does the little finger thing that Mr. Burns on The Simpson's does. This causes us all to laugh loudly.

We quiet down quickly, not wanting to cause a disturbance. Curiosity gets the better of me, "What are we talking about?"

They both force their eyes on my face, evil grins adorning theirs. Emmett speaks first, "Protecting my investment, if you get my drift."

I look to Edward, who sighs. Finally he says, "A little revenge never hurt anyone."

Giving my best puppy dog eyes and pouty lips that I can must, I stare at the both of the them, hoping they will give in.

Edward sighs first, "You know, Bella. I think blushing would make me tell you..."

Emmett laughs, "Alright Bella, listen up..."

As I lean my head in toward Emmett, evil smirks place themselves upon our faces.

_There are no definitions this chapter. Again, I'll give out previews for the next chapter if you so desire it. _

_love, cooky_


	9. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: I don't own it._

_Author's Note: Since I had such a wonderful day at work, I decided to upload the next chapter for all you wonderful people out there! I received 50 reviews on the last chapter and I'm astonished!! WOW! Thank you!!! Ok, enough of this...on to the chapter! Enjoy!_

Chapter 9

Once our meeting is adjourned, Emmett heads over the bar to grab a drink for us. Carefully, I turn to look at Edward. He's staring at me, his eyes shining.

"How about we break the kitchen down? We're closed." He stands, extending his hand for me.

I tear myself away from the wall, feeling the loss of his body next to mine. Grabbing his hand, we head back into the kitchen.

We clean the kitchen quickly, the stainless steel shining in the lights. Every few minutes, I would catch Edward looking at me, a shy smile on his face. I blush, continuing on with my inventory in the reach-ins.

"It's almost time. Are you ready?" Edward leans in toward my face, his mouth just inches from mine. As completely tempted as I am to win this bet, I forego a brash decision.

I bite my lip, nodding my head, "Of course."

He stares at me for a few seconds, slowing moving away to the other side of the line, pretending to do something important.

And on time, the kitchen fills up with employees, ending their shifts for the night. I see Alice and Jasper smile at me, giving me winks. Mike walks slowly over to me, his eyes scanning the area behind me. A bit bewildered by his behavior, I decide to not over think it and shake my head.

I look at Edward, noticing he is busy reorganizing my reach-in for the third time now. He's mumbling something to himself, but, as I strain my ears to hear, I fail.

Lauren and Jessica finally grace us with their presence, walking side by side. They stop by Edward, giggling. I give a disgusted sigh, my eyes rolling.

"Did you break down my station, Edward? I can't help but notice you doing such nice things for me lately," Jessica bats her eyelashes at him, her lips in a wide smile.

"Yes, I did. I know you had a rough night in the kitchen, with all the orders coming in to your station. I figured I would give you the night off from breaking it down." He gives her his best crooked smile.

I hide my head below the counter, trying hard not to laugh. Gathering my courage and a straight face, I pretend to wipe the counters again.

Jessica leans in toward Edward, a little too close for _my_ comfort, "Thanks!" She reaches her hand out, touching his. "You really are sweet. I think I'll forget about that little talk we had the other night." She wiggles her eyebrows at him.

I can see him hesitate for a moment, peeking in my direction. Silently, I will him to go on, almost hating myself in the process.

Closing his eyes, he forces his face into a smile, "I'd like that, Jessica, very much. Why don't you go on down and change? I'll see you a few minutes." He gives her a wink.

She giggles loudly this time, fully smiling. After patting her hand on his cheek, her and Lauren head downstairs. As I turn to Edward, I hear a screech of excitement from the basement.

Laughing, I look to Edward, "Looks like you have a _date_ later."

"All I know is, you better be worth this, Bella," he says, grabbing me around the waist, locking eyes with mine. "Though, Alice says you are. And I'll trust her."

I give him a quizzical look, "She can't keep her mouth shut, can she?"

He laughs, "Not at all. Because of her, we know everything. And I know everything."

"I take it you know about the bet?"

He squints his eyes, an evil smirk forming, "That was the hardest to get out of Alice. It took some convincing on my part to have her tell me. Of course, a little blackmail never hurts."

Shocked at his words, I feel my jaw drop. "Blackmail? What do you have on her? Tell me!" I grab his arms, shaking them lightly.

Grinning at me, he leans close to my face, "Just a little something Jasper might have let slipped when he one too many Jack and Cokes."

"But what about the bet?"

He leans his head to the side, his eyes searching mine, "Ah, yes. There happens to be a slight problem with that..."

I start to panic a little, thinking maybe I was wrong in hoping that he likes me more than a coworker. My heart starts to beat frantically, I try to pull away softly, releasing my hands from his arms.

"Bella..." His voice is soft, warm, inviting.

Finally, I raise my eyes to his, forcing myself to have courage for his words. Realization washes over his features, sorrow written in his eyes.

Finally, I find words, "What problem?"

He grins sheepishly at me, "The two parties the bet concerns have placed wagers against each other."

I feel my heart flutter back to life, my stomach doing flips. The blush creeps back to my cheeks, my sorrowful expression heightens to happiness.

"And what does that mean?" I give him my best smile, wondering what he has in mind.

"That, my beauty, means they're all going down," he gives my nose a little poke, grazing his finger down to my lips. Keeping a gentle pressure, his finger traces the outline of my lips.

I've stopped breathing, mesmerizing his eyes, face, lips. My eyes close, wanting to keep the memory of his touch fresh in my mind. I sigh, never wanting his fingers to leave my lips.

He gently untangles his arms from my waist, tickling my sides with his fingers in the process. I giggle, squirming a bit. He keeps his fingers pressed to my side, pulling my body closer to his, gazing into my eyes.

"You're going to be the death of me, Bella." He takes a step away from me, heading toward the stairs. Over his shoulder, he says, "I'm still waiting for your invitation from earlier."

Speechless, I shake my head, clearing my mind from the dazzling I just received. I'm about to say something when I realize he has already made his way to the basement. I groan, desperately wanting his body close to mine again.

As I'm about to enter the locker room, Alice grabs me, dragging me to the far side of the basement.

"Oh, this is going to be so much fun!" She bounces on her feet, almost reaching my height.

"Alice, calm down! Did Emmett tell you what we have planned already?"

"We already placed our bets. I can see I'm going to win."

I laugh at her exuberance over our little plan. We walk back to the locker room in comfortable silence.

Jessica is standing at her locker, fixing her makeup, primping her hair. Lauren is next to her, with an astonished look on her face.

"So, he told me to meet him in the walk-in in a few minutes! I'm so excited! I can't wait to see what he wants..." She trails off, a far-away look in her eyes.

Lauren has a jealous look on her face, mumbling something to herself. She looks away from Jessica, her eyes scanning our faces.

I smirk at Alice, knowing exactly what Edward wants. Rose, I notice, is glaring at Jessica, her eyes squinted in an evil glare. I wonder what Rose is thinking, but she beats me to it first. Giving me a wicked grin, she puts her finger to her mouth, motioning with her eyes toward the walk-in.

I stare for a few moments, my eyes traveling to the outside of the large walk-in. And that's when I see it. I silently laugh, making a mental note to thank Edward and Emmett for their plan.

Jessica closes her locker, giving a loud happy sigh. She looks to Lauren, "Wish me luck! Chef Edward, here I come..." As she walks away, she bounces her hips back and forth, causing her to almost look like fast waddling penguin.

Emmett comes up behind me, poking me in the back, "Are you ready for your part?"

A slight shiver makes it way through my whole body, causing my stomach to turn. I scrunch up my face, "Do I really have to?" I know I shouldn't be pathetic in asking this because I've already agreed, but I can't help it.

"Yes, you do! If you don't..." Alice trails off, looking toward Jasper. "I need to win this okay? I told Jasper the wrong thing and if you don't go through with this, he'll win. Besides, it's going to be great!" She tugs on my shirt a bit, pulling me closer. "And you don't want to disappoint Edward, do you?"

Okay, I'll give this little pixie credit. She knows how to make you re-evaluate your decisions. However, I don't think Edward would be completely disappointed in me if I could talk Rose into doing my part. Then again, it would be much more fun if I did it.

"Fine, Alice. You win. But if I throw up because of this, you have to clean it up," I glare at her for good measure, causing her to laugh.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine. Why won't you listen to me?" She pleads with me, knowing full well that I would trust her before anyone else.

Closing my eyes, I sigh, "I already agreed, didn't I? I'm still working myself up to it."

"Just go and do it already!" Rose stands behind me, giving me a giant shove toward Mike.

Amazed that I didn't fall, I give Rose a slight glare. She grins back at me, beckoning me on with her hands and eyes. I nod my head, my courage building even more. I'm doing this for the benefit of the restaurant. No, I'm lying to myself. I'm doing this for the amusement of everyone. Yes, that's right.

"Hey, Mike..." I trail off, not exactly sure how to flirt with him.

He turns around, his eyes widening when he sees me. He shakes his head at me, a pompous look on his face, "What's up, cutie?"

Silently, I curse him for always using that line on me. "I was wondering if you'd like to come over since we're finished for the night?" Mentally cringing, I try to keep my expression as normal as possible.

His eyes bulge, causing his jaw to drop to the ground. I can see him checking me out, wishfully looking me over. As much as I want to curl in a ball right now, I tighten my jaw slightly, hoping this will be over quickly.

Finally, his eyes reach my face, "What about Edward?" His voice is mocking; it makes me wish I never came up with this idea.

I give a dramatic sigh, "It's never been like that with him. I've always wanted to get to know _you_ better." I hope that my talking in a fake seductive voice works.

"Well, in that case, let me get my stuff out of my locker," he smiles at me, reaching out to grab my hand.

I try to force my hand to stay there; I fail. I move it in time to pull some loose hairs behind my ear. Giving my best smile, I lean against a locker.

As he opens his locker, a noise erupts from it, causing tons of paper to float out onto the floor. My eyes follow one particular picture. It has a picture of Edward's face taped to the body of a man posing in a g-string. As my eyes follow the rest of the pictures, I notice there are many more, including pictures of Emmett's and Jasper's faces on them.

Mike looks down and notices the pictures. He turns beet red, looking at me, "Um, I...uh...they're not...it's not..." As he stutters, Emmett walks over, picking up a picture, a look of pure rage written on his face.

Instead of doing anything brash, Emmett calls Jasper over, showing him the picture. Both pairs of eyes turn on Mike, disgust showing openly. As Mike starts to back away, Emmett grabs his shirt.

Rose and Alice bust in on the scene, just as intended. Their eyes scan the pictures, laughter welling up inside their throats.

Rose is the first to speak, "I knew there was something in the way Mike looked at you, Emmett!"

Emmett turns to Mike, "If I ever catch you looking at me in any way ever again, I'll rip your eyes out!" He picks up a bit by his shirt, his face dangerously close. "Do you understand?"

"Y--ye--yes!" Mike stammers, closing his eyes. Emmett releases him, causing Mike to drop to the floor as a rag doll would.

I find my laugh is getting harder to hide, so I let it out. Mike turns to look at me, a unfamiliar expression on his face.

Alice grabs a picture with Jasper's face on it, "Mind if I take this one, Mike? I'm sure you have hundreds of them on the floor..." She trails off, holding the picture toward Jasper.

His eyes widen, snapping it out of Alice's hand. He whispers in Emmett's ear, "How exactly did you get a picture of me, wearing this?"

Emmett snickers, "I didn't know you were into pink briefs, Jasper."

"That's not true! Alice washed them with her red bra!" Just as Jasper is about pounce on Emmett, we hear a high pitched scream coming from outside the locker room. We hurry out to the walk-in, where we all proceed to double over in laughter.

There's a bucket laying on it's side on the floor, water still leaking from it. Jessica is covered head to toe in said water. But, oh what's that? When she opened the door, not only did she trigger the bucket to fall on her, but also triggered the string on the inside to turn the fan on, which is now throwing flour all over her.

Jessica furiously screams again, choking on flying flour. She tries to wipe the wet mixture from her face, which only makes it to smear more.

We hear laughter coming from inside the walk-in. Curious, we look to each other. This wasn't actually part of the plan, but hey, we're going along with it. Just as the flour starts to dissipate from the air, we see a figure standing behind the fan.

"Did you really think you would get him that easily?" Lauren struts out of the walk-in, a gleaming victory written on her face. "I saw him first, you know! You think you're better than me? You're nothing but a two-faced little slut!" And Lauren does what we never thought possible. She dumps a five gallon bucket of scrambled eggs on her head.

Jessica screams again, trying with all her might not to slip on the egg covered floor to get to Lauren. Failing miserably, she lands on the floor in a cloud of flour, eggs splattering all over.

Finally able to stop laughing, I catch my breath, noticing Edward is on the side of the room, a smile on his face. He puts a finger to his lips, stopping me from running to him.

"Jessica! Are you okay?" He squats down next to her, careful not to get any flour or eggs on him.

She moans into the floor, little bubbles appear in the eggs next to her face, "You're not worth this, Edward!" She grabs a glob of egg, throwing it directly in his face. "I quit!" Again, she tries to stand, falling straight back down in the eggs.

Edward stands, wiping a bit of the egg off his face. I smirk at him, thinking he looks rather cute with the gooey mess on his face.

"Bella, just what are you smirking at?" He looks me directly in the eyes, taking painfully slow steps toward me.

I try to speak, but I'm too dazzled by his eyes to do anything, let alone breathe.

"Do you really think I look funny covered in eggs?" He asks, his lips in an evil smirk. The closer he moves to me, the less I find humor in this situation.

And then he does it. He rubs his face against mine, causing the eggs to half transfer to me. As he moves away, he laughs, "There now. Not funny anymore, is it, Bella?" Giving me his sexy smile, he grabs a towel from his back pocket, wiping the eggs from his face.

I stand there, completely shocked. Alice hands me a towel, a smile tugging at her lips. "Get yourself wiped off. You can get him back later." She gives me a wink.

Emmett, in the background, yells, "What did you I tell you, Mike? I have eyes in the back of my head, you know!" And from somewhere in the locker room, a yelp is heard from Mike.

I brush past Edward, much to my displeasure, walking back to the locker room. How dare he wipe eggs on my face? I'm not as furious as I think should be, but I will get him back, of course. The question is how...

When I finish my face, I look in the mirror. There's no egg left, to which I'm grateful for. A scream erupts from behind me, causing me to jump. Running toward the noise, Lauren is bent over the bottom of her locker.

"Squeaks! Noooooo! Oh, Squeaks!" She cries, tears running down her face.

And now I see why. A long tail and half a body are protruding from between the locker doors. There's no movement whatsoever, and Lauren is trying with all her might to breathe through her tears.

She stands, a little unsure of her next move, wobbling on her feet. Breathing in short rasps, she carefully opens her locker door.

"What the...?" Through her tears, you can see anger written on her face.

The half "rat" falls on the floor, making a squeaking noise. That's when I realize it's a dog toy. Lauren snaps her head in my direction, glaring at me, "You did this? Where's Squeaks, you bitch?" She approaches me, a wild look in her eyes.

I hold my hands up, knowing full well that she could slap me at any moment.

"You wouldn't want to do that, Lauren," Edward steps between us, holding Squeaks safely in his arms. "Do you have any idea what would have happened if an inspector came in today?"

Her eyes go back and forth between Edward and me, her body tense. She stammers for a few seconds, looking slightly guilty. Slightly. Her eyes then move to the rat, sitting patiently in Edward's hand.

"Just give me Squeaks. Please..." I can tell from her eyes she is torn between begging or just stealing her precious little pet from his hands. Her hands start to shake, slowly reaching out toward Edward.

And in a second it's over--Squeaks has been snatched by Lauren, who proceeds to run extremely fast to her locker, reassuring her pet over and over. "It's okay, precious. You're fine. It'll all be okay. Don't give me that look, baby..."

Shaking my head, I move in front of Edward, "Well, if that wasn't awkard..."

He grabs my arms, placing them around this neck, "You want awkard? How about the woman in you comes out now?" His lips are so close to mine...

And that's when I remember the eggs. Oh, Edward, dear, you are going to pay.

His face closes in on mine, lips about to press against lips, his eyes lighting up. I turn my head to the side; his lips collide with my cheek.

Smirking, I face him again, "You're being punished, dear Edward." I gently take my arms from around his neck, moving to my locker. "Perhaps if you're a good boy tomorrow, you'll see the woman in me."

He moans to my back, "Bella..."

_Before you go crazy...I know I'm evil. Thanks to one reviewer who said "you evil, vile woman" or something along those lines. I kind of liked being called that:-D Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! Chapter 10 will be up soon!_

_ 3, cooky_


	10. Chapter 10

_Disclaimer: Do not own._

_Author's Note: This is the chapter you've all been waiting for! I hope it lives up to your expectations. Thank you to those who reviewed and who pushed me to get this chapter out. You really don't care about this note and have already begun to read the chapter, haven't you? Enjoy!_

Chapter 10

As I walk through my door, I realize I'm slightly disappointed in myself. For one thing, I could have kissed Edward tonight in front of everyone, making us the complete center of attention. But, on the other side, I want the kiss to happen my way, in private where we can fully enjoy each other and become caught up in the moment.

I'm absolutely enthralled with the idea of being able to kiss Edward. I can't help but imagine it in my head, in several different scenarios. I sigh, closing me eyes, wishing he were here with me. Oh, what his lips make me think! Blushing to the empty room, I decide to come up with a plan.

After debating for a few minutes, I reach for my phone. I dial Alice quickly, praying that she's available.

"Hello, Bella!" She squeals into the phone.

I grimace, pulling the phone a few inches from my ear, "Hi, Alice." I try to keep my voice perky.

"What's wrong?" She sounds slightly worried.

"I was wondering if you can help me with something?" I sigh, fully aware that I sound defeated.

"Of course, Bella..." She trails off. Knowing her, the wheels are already set in motion in her head.

"Well, I have a plan..."

After an hour on the phone with Alice, my plan is perfected. I jump happily into bed, hoping to be able to sleep quickly. Soon enough, dreams about Edward come into view.

The doorbell rings, breaking me out my trance. I rush over to the door expecting to see Alice. And Emmett, Jasper, and Rose. No, no, no. This was not the plan.

"Bella!" Alice jumps to give me a quick hug, pecking me on the cheek.

"Alice! Why are they here?" I plead with her, wishing she didn't have to tell everything.

"You know very well we're here to help," Rose says, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Besides, it's always better when everyone is involved." She gives a wink to Emmett.

A phone rings; we all check in our pockets. Emmett answers his quickly.

"Edward Status Update: Mom and Dad have currently kidnapped him and are taking him out lunch. He'll be back in time for the prep work. They both say hello to you. And they want to wish you good luck today on your little endeavor."

Blushing, I quietly say a thank you. I look to Alice, "You are going to pay for this, you know?"

She waves a hand dismissively, "I know this is going to work. How else could it without these guys?"

"Alright, you win. We'll do it your way," I grin at everyone, giving a thumbs up.

We arrive at the restaurant a little too quickly for my comfort. Apparently, Alice loves to drive extremely fast when she's excited. Note to self: Before driving with Alice again, make her depressed. I snicker to myself as I get out of the car; four faces are uncertain as to why I just did that.

Alice grabs my hand, dragging me into the restaurant. She walks behind the bar and places a large box on the table. Once she is finished emptying said box, she turns to me, "This is the new sound system. And it has a microphone. It's perfect!" She holds up the microphone, examining it slowly. "Emmett and Rose will hook everything up. They're even going to put speakers in the walk-in!"

I give a dramatic sigh, "Alice, it wasn't supposed to be this complicated! The plan was to go to his house and grab him as he walks out. Considering that I don't know where he lives, I needed you."

"I changed the plan, your point?" She puts her hands on her hips, slightly pouting.

"The point is that this was supposed to be done by me. With your help, of course. Not with the help of a new sound system!" I feel my anger rising and I try to keep it in check.

"Bella, Bella, Bella..." Jasper stands next to me, a soft smile on his face. "We want you both to be happy. Don't be upset because Alice went overboard with your plan. Trust me, it's the same plan, just hyped up a bit." Giving my hand a pat, he takes a speaker and some wire. "I'll go hang this in the walk-in."

I calm down slowly, realizing I did over-react a bit, "I'm sorry, Alice..."

She cuts me off, a wide smile on her face, "You're forgiven already." She hands me a duffle bag. "Now, get your butt in the locker room and change! It's going to work!" She gives me a gently push over the bar, her eyes gleaming.

Mumbling to myself, I make my way to the locker room. I glance in the bag from Alice, noticing new chef clothes with a little note.

_Just trust me, Bella! That old chef coat of yours isn't even white anymore. You need some color to your outfit instead of just white and those god awful black checkered pants. _

_Alice_

I pulled out a brand new chef coat and chef pants. The chef coat was a woman's fit, perfectly white with blue piping on the edges. Printed on the front left panel was _Chef Bella._ The pants made me laugh. They were slightly black with tons of colored chili peppers on them. I have to hand it to Alice; I always wanted fun chef pants for the kitchen.

After I was dressed, I checked myself over in the mirror. Now, not only did I look like a true chef, I felt as if I really did belong in the kitchen giving orders to Edward.

I hear static, thumping, and a clearing of a voice over the speakers. I smile, waiting to hear what will be said.

_"Bella, please report to the bar for a impromptu meeting, stat!" _Alice's voice rings over the speakers in the locker room. _"And I'm sure you love your new chef clothes!"_

I shake my head at Alice. What other friend would go to these lengths for a single kiss? I'm not exactly sure what they have planned for this sound system, but I'm about to find out.

Everyone is gathered around the bar when I enter. Emmett is on the phone again, a distressed look on his face.

When he hangs up, he turns to us, "Bella, we have a problem..." He give a dramatic sigh, leaning his head on Rose's shoulder. "Edward will be here sooner than we expected. He knows something is up. Mom says he wolfed his food down, threw some money on the table, gave her a quick kiss, and then rushed out the door. He should be here in just a few minutes."

I can panic forming in everyone's eyes, except Alice's. She gives me a coy smile, "I knew he would do this! Bella, are you against me changing the whole plan?"

My eyes widen at her words, my head shaking a quick "yes". I close my eyes, wishing this day would have turned out different. First, my original plan was foiled by Alice. It was so simple and tasteful. She was just supposed to drive me to his place, drop me off, then leave. The rest was up to me.

And the worst part is she agreed to my whole plan. Then again, I should have known something was up with the way she was quickly agreeing with me.

"What did I tell you before?" Alice gives me a glare, her hands on her hips.

"Trust you..." I mumble.

"Exactly! Do you?" Her eyes search mine, waiting for an answer.

"Tell me the plan first. Then I'll let you know if I trust you," I smile at her, wanting badly to know her idea.

She shakes her head, "I know it will work, Bella. If it helps, I promise I won't go overboard. Besides, there's no time to explain it all." Her eyes plead with me, knowing I'll give in soon.

And I do. Seriously, who can say no to this crazy pixie? I've tried, trust me. I have always given in, whether it was an extra meal for her table because they were nice or letting her do my hair. I shudder, remembering that day. Though Edward did compliment me that night during service...

"Fine. My lovely pixie, what do you have planned for me?" I turn to her, giving her a mocking smile.

"Do your little prep work in the kitchen. You'll have more to do today with Jessica leaving. And all you have to do is listen," She gives me a gentle shove toward the kitchen. "Remember, Bella, listen. That's all. You'll _know_."

I stop in my tracks, trying to figure out exactly what she means. Listen? What should I be paying attention to? She knows how I can be in the kitchen.

I feel arms wrap around my waist from behind me, tightening their grip. At first, I think it's Edward and start to blush. I try to turn in the arms, realizing they're a little too big to belong to him.

"Do I have to do everything for you, Bella?" Emmett's voice booms from behind me. He picks me up, gently setting me over his shoulder. Before I can protest, he gives me a light smack on my calves, slowly walking towards the kitchen. "Just prep for tonight and don't worry about anything else. It's covered. Now be a good little chef and help me win this bet!" He sets me down in the kitchen, pushing me toward my station.

I shake my head in defeat, walking to my station. As I being to prep, I realize that I haven't asked Jasper about the reservations yet. I decide to just wing it on the prep tonight, as I don't want to foil _their_ plans.

After about ten minutes of prepping, I give up. We did too much work last night and some of the prep is carrying over into tonight's service. Not that I mind too much, for now I can start to think about what Alice has planned.

I would lying if I said I wasn't worried about her new scheme. Knowing Alice, it's probably a bit over the top. And now I'm starting to panic about Edward's reaction to the plan.

Noise from the kitchen doors startle me out my thoughts. I hope silently that it's not Alice walking through those doors telling me there's another change to the plans. However, her words _"just listen" _remind me. Is this what she's telling me to listen to?

Finally, I turn my eyes toward the entrance to see Edward walking slowly into the kitchen. He seems a little uneasy today, his eyes filled with nervousness.

A tapping noise stops him in his tracks, his eyes search the room. The static comes over the speakers, causing a smile to grace my lips.

For a few seconds the static continues to fill the quiet kitchen. Edward and I are staring at each other, waiting for one to speak. I look over his shoulders to see Alice's head at the window in the doors. She gives her best smile at me, sports a thumb's up, then disappears.

Oh, dear lord.

_"Well, I'm not paralyzed, but I seem to be struck by you. I wanna make you move, because you're standing still. __If your body matches what your eyes can do; You'll probably---"_

"Emmett, don't be absurd!" Alice's voice rings over the speakers. "Do you really think that's an appropriate song for the situation?"

"Yes! They're both just standing there! You said it yourself a few seconds ago. Besides, it has a great beat..."

"That's not what she meant," Rose cuts in. "This should do it."

_"And I'm on tonight. You know my hips don't lie; And I am starting to feel you boy. Come on lets go, real slow. Don't you see baby asi es perfecto..."_

I can feel the blood rushing to my cheeks, imagining what exactly Rose thought that song was going to make me do.

"Ugh! Shakira? That's the best you can come up with?" Jasper voice cuts into my thoughts. "Seriously, they need something more classical, like this..."

_"__Bella Rosa! tender flower! Come and cheer this darkey's heart; I am thine, and from this hour, Nebber, nebber let us part! Bella Rose! Bella--"_

"What in the world was that?" Emmett cuts in, his voice dripping with disgust.

"Music from the Civil War era. I think it fits. Besides, the melody is peaceful, which is what they need."

"That was the most awful music I have ever heard. It even beats rap..."

There was a thump over the speakers, forcing Edward and I to laugh at this inane situation. It is a little awkward having to hear them argue over which song fits us best, but rather funny at the same time.

"What the hell was that for, Alice?"

"Just shut up, Emmett, for once in your life. This has to be perfect. They're both in there now, probably wondering why we're playing with the sound system."

Silence rings over the speakers now. I finally tear my eyes away from the corner where the sound has thus stopped. Edward is still standing on the other side of the line, giving me his crooked smile.

"This is _interesting_. And here I thought they were planning on blowing up the place..." He chuckles at his own little private joke. "Bella, what are you doing here anyway? Sunday is your day off."

Oops, rather forgot about that part. Sundays and Mondays are my days to relax and do all my errands. Again, plans change, not that I'm upset about having to work now.

"Well, with Jessica quitting over _you_ last night, I thought I'd come in to help." I smile at him, hoping he'll look past the obvious.

_"I can't keep up and I can't back down. I've been losing so much time, Cause it's you and me and all of the people, With nothing to do, nothing to lose. And it's you and me and all of the people and I don't know why I can't keep my eyes off of you.."_

I don't pay attention to the bickering over the speakers as I watch Edward move toward me, his arms reaching for my waist. I swat his hands back, raising my eyebrows at him. "You're still being punished. No touching until I say you can."

He laughs at me, "You do know why they're playing these songs, don't you?"

"Actually, no, I don't. But I'm sure I can guess the reason."

He moves closer to me, his eyes glazing over, "Care to share your guess?"

"Oh! I got it! It's perfect!" Alice squeals into the speakers. "Hurry guys, or we'll miss it!"

Edward and I stare at the speakers, waiting for the newest lyrics to hit our ears.

_"It's the way you love me, It's a feelin' like this."_

I smile to myself, shaking my head at Alice's choice for a song. She was right all along; this is perfect. I feel my heart pick up, knowing it's time to make my move.

_"It's centrifugal motion, it's that perpetual bliss."_

I gather my courage, forcing my heart to slow slightly, wanting to grab him around the neck. Another few seconds and this wonderful greek god will be in my arms.

_"It's that pivotal moment. It's 'Ah, impossible.' "_

Slowly, I turn to face Edward, a shy smile on my face. I move a bit closer with every beat of the song. My hand raises to his face, resting on his cheek. My other arm wraps itself around his torso, pulling me closer to him.

_"This kiss, this kiss."_

I lean my head in, willing myself to drop all pretenses. He realizes what exactly I'm doing, and a beautiful smile graces his features. I give a grin back, moving closer to his lips.

_"Unstoppable. This kiss, this kiss..."_

Our lips crash against each other, an electric feeling pulses through my veins. Slowly, our bodies move closer, pressing against each other. My hands weave into his hair, relishing in the feel of the softness. His hands roam my back, gently tracing circles all over. I gasp at the feel of him, the tenderness of the moment.

We stay in this position, slowly kissing, exploring the feeling of each other's body tightly pressed upon one another. His lips are soft, careful, needy. I oblige to his needs, wanting more of him.

Catcalls from the doorway force us to break apart all too soon. Sadly, I remove my lips from his, putting a finger to his mouth. I give him another smile, then turn to the others.

"If you would so kindly place our winnings on the counter, we'll grab them later. For now, excuse us."

I turn back to Edward, grab his shirt, and lead us downstairs to the walk-in.

I push him into the cooler, relishing in this new found feeling. He turns around, opening his arms to me. I rush into them, whispering in his ear, "And now, Edward, you'll get to see what you've wanted for so long. Me being a _woman._"

His eyes light up as my lips crash against his. Our bodies pull together as magnets would. Our lips never part as he pushes me against the back wall.

He wraps his arms around my waist, gently lifting me off the floor. Wrapping my legs about his body, I pull my lips away for a few moments of much needed air. His serene smile makes me want him more.

And I realize I'm grateful Alice changed the plan. Before I can even consider how I am going to pay her back, Edward's kisses on my neck enlighten me to our current situation. I sigh happily into his hair, never wanting this moment to end.

I tilt my head back, staring in his eyes. I try to find words, but they would be useless in the here and now. All I can think of is how I never want those lips to leave mine.

Over the speakers, another song starts to play.

_"Take my love, hold me tight, take my love, share this night, Share my lips, share my heart, say that we'll never part, Take my love, hold me tight, in its thrill find delight, Let each kiss build a dream, let our love be its theme."_

And as Alice predicted, it's perfect.

_Lyrics:_

_Paralyzer: Finger Eleven_

_Hips don't Lie: Shakira_

_Bella Rosa!: anomymous (Do you know how long it took me to find a Civil War era song? It was performed byCampbell's Minstrels, but the author is unknown)_

_You and Me: Lifehouse_

_This Kiss: Faith Hill_

_Take my Love: Frank Sinatra_

_Hope you enjoyed the chapter! Two or three more, then it's over!_

_love, cooky_


	11. Chapter 11

**_Author's note: I know this is a long time...forgive me? I'm splitting this chapter into two so you all will more to read. Since I'll be having a lot of time on my hands this upcoming week, you'll have more updates. What are you waiting for? Enjoy the chapter already!_**

Chapter 11

**One month later...**

Staring at my ceiling, I can still vividly remember that wonderful day. Edward and I came out of the walk-in, holding hands, goofy grins adorning our faces. We took our places in the kitchen, working together in a harmony that couldn't have been matched before. As we danced around each other, he would steal quick kisses from me, on my lips, my neck, or my cheek. It was a blissful night.

I did, however, end up cornering Alice before the night was over. Her eyes were large, almost full of fear, but the smile on her face was wonderful. I stepped forward, grabbing her in the tightest hug my body would allow.

"Thank you, Alice," I whispered in her ear, giving her a light peck on the cheek.

As I walked away from her, I heard her say, "Told you..." A little giggle escaped her as I made my way into the kitchen.

Since then, the restaurant life has greatly improved. Mike quit a couple of days later due to Emmett. I have to admit it was funny to watch Emmett always doing the "I'm watching you" with his fingers. However, it upset Mike so much that he decided it was time to leave, but not before receiving many items of gay porn to the restaurant. They would always somehow show themselves in the middle of service or attached to his car windshield. I can only imagine who did that.

Lauren, however, was a different story. She became quiet, reserved. Her tables were always happy with the service, but they could tell there was something in her eyes, a sort of sadness. We found out later that Squeaks had died a few days after the incident, after having eaten some of her hair color treatments. Who would have known Lauren wasn't a true blond?

Alice decided to hold a quiet little funeral for our furry little friend. It was a little weird (and a bit over the top), but Lauren seemed happy enough with it. We all shared our sorrow with her, for without Squeaks, I don't believe all this could have happened.

Then again, knowing Alice, it probably would.

Edward and his brothers decided to hire in two new people. They introduced them to us about a week later. Angela was hired as a replacement for Jessica, working on the garde manger station. It was wonderful having her work the line with us. She was on top of every ticket, making us realize what good help is like in the kitchen. Angela and I became quick friends, sharing stories of the restaurant life, and the love we found because of it.

Jacob was introduced as the replacement for Mike. He and Emmett have been competing lately with service. They're tied for a record number of drinks ordered, and tonight will showcase the winner. Jacob does seem nice enough, if not flirty towards me, but he isn't creepy like Mike. I always feel on the spot when he is in the kitchen, but Edward easily takes the edge off by placing a delicate kiss upon my lips.

Since that wonderful night, a lot has changed. My relationship with my coworkers have strengthened, just as the one with Edward has. Every day you can find us either at Edward's or my place, all of us together, completely happy.

And this brings us to today, Valentine's Day. The guys were thinking about closing the restaurant for the night to spend the entire day with us, but we persuaded them otherwise. Think of all the customers, though! Of course it will be a busy night, but we can handle it.

I did, however, come up with perfect gift for Edward. And all I can do it hope that he'll love it. Which, according to Alice, he absolutely will.

Rolling over in bed, I snuggle up to Edward. He's still fast asleep, which works in my favor. I check the clock and realize it's time for me to make a quick trip to get his gift.

I slip out of bed, careful as to not wake the wonderful man in my bed. Giving him one lasting look, I pad into the bathroom, hoping to get ready just as quietly.

Once I'm finished, I find my phone in a heap of clothes on the floor, pocketing it. I rush into the kitchen to make some quick phone calls.

"Bella, are you ready?" Alice, perky as ever, is completely awake, waiting my call.

"Yes, what about Rose?" I ask, in a somewhat groggy voice.

I hear a little argument in the background, realizing it's Rose and Emmett. A light smack later, and Alice laughs.

"She's ready. Emmett had a death grip on her, but she's up. We'll be over in ten," Alice blows a kiss into the phone, then hangs up.

I creep back into the bedroom to make sure Edward is unaware of my plans. He's still sleeping, but has now rolled onto my side of the bed. Smiling, I grab a piece of paper, penning a quick note for him.

_Edward,_

_I'm going shopping with Alice and Rose. Against my will, of course. I'll meet you at the restaurant at noon._

_Yours, _

_Bella_

I leave the note on my pillow, walking outside to wait for my ride.

Once we're finished picking everything up, we arrive at the restaurant two hours before the guys are due.

Alice and Rose are on decorating duty in the dining room, while I'm on food duty. We decided on a menu a few days ago, after going through the entire restaurant's inventory.

Immediately, I start on the dessert, measuring out some chocolate. I place the morsels in a double boiler, gently melting them. After I gather the rest of the ingredients, I grab three heart shaped baking pans.

Once I'm finished making the batter, I scoop it into my pans, placing them in the oven. I set my timer, moving toward my reach-in for more ingredients.

I take a deep breath, hoping this new recipe that I've created will be amazing. It's in the developing stages, only having been made once before. Alice had tried it that night at my place, falling in love with the flavor combinations immediately. After much persuasion, I agreed to make it for lunch today.

I prepare a simple beef roast, adding a little twist in the process. Before searing it on the griddle, I mix a little chipotle powder and espresso grounds together, creating an interesting fusion on scents. Smiling, I gently rub the mixture on all sides of the beef, then put it on the griddle.

Once the beef is seared, I place it in a pan with vegetables on the bottom, then into the oven. Next, I decide to make the side dishes--chipotle mashed potatoes and roasted baby root vegetables.

After preparing those items, I get an idea about an appetizer. I look through the reach-in, realizing I have everything at my fingertips. Excited, I gather everything quickly, hoping it will taste as good as sounds.

The timer for my dessert buzzes loudly, waking me up from all the thoughts in my head about food. I check my little cakes--they're done--and take them out to cool. In record time, I make a simple creme anglaise to contrast the bitterness of the chocolate.

After looking in on all the food one last time, I decide to go and see if the girls need help in the dining room.

And it looks like there has been an explosion of pink. Hearts, streamers, "I love you's", and other little pink trinkets are strewn about the room. All the tables have been moved except three, which are stragetically placed throughout the room for privacy. They have a simple pink tablecloth, with pink dishware, crystal stemware, and--oh lord--silverware with pink coating. And, not to mention, all the pink heart-shaped candles placed throughout the room and on the tables.

Alice and Rose are in a heated debate when I finally reach them.

"No, you can't just put red napkins on table! Everything is pink!"

Rose sighs, "Oh! Call the police. Red is acceptable, especially today."

Alice waves a hand in Rose's face, "It'll clash. No." She stalks off toward the tables, practically ripping the red napkins from them, muttering to herself.

I try not to laugh, but sadly it escapes. Rose turns to me, a vivid look in her eyes. She calms slightly, a smirk on her face.

"Something funny, Chef?"

"A little over the top, no?" I give Rose a smirk to match, nodding my head in the direction of the decorations.

She gives a light laugh, "You know Alice. 'It's going to be perfect!' One day I hope it isn't..." She puts her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide.

I laugh loudly, always wanting to hear someone say that. Rose joins in shortly after, a look of apology in her eyes.

"Don't worry, Rose. I'll never tell. But I'm sure there's other people who think just like you..." I give her a brief hug, grateful for what we've been to one another this past month.

Alice stomps over to us, "There's no pink napkins! White would work, but it would definitely ruin the pink I had going..." She trails off, a look of desperation in her eyes.

I check my watch, noticing there is only roughly forty minutes before we have to have everything ready for the guys. Luckily, I had asked Angela to come in early to help us serve this little suprise. She agreed, with the exception of the night off for her and her bofriend, Ben. And who can deny love on this day?

I watch for a few more minutes, as Alice bounces around the dining room, resetting the tables. Since there's going to be white napkins, she insists upon having some white candles on there as well.

Shaking my head, I head back to the kitchen, hoping to finish the appetizer. I take the kobe beef out of the freezer, squeezing it to make sure I can slice it paper thin. It's firm enough to not break the slices.

After I slice the beef, I arrange it on the plates in the shape of a heart. I place a few garlic toasts on the side, making sure not to touch the beef. To finish the dish, I add some paperthin slices of fennel and red onion. A little horseradish sauce on the top and the beef carpaccio is complete.

Angela walks in the kitchen, Ben at her side. She gives me a wink, "Bella, I hope you don't mind, but Ben said he would help out, too."

"Thanks, Ben!" I give Angela a hug, pulling her behind the line to explain all the dishes.

When I'm finished, I take the pot roast out of the oven, letting it sit to redistribute the juices. I check the rest of the food, making sure everything will be ready on time.

"Go! They'll be there any minute. And you need to be out there," Angela gently shoves me toward the door, her and Ben laughing.


	12. Chapter 12

_Author's Note: Yes, it's a long time in the making, but here it is! I apologize for how long this took, but I wanted it to be perfect. And I really like the way it ends. Well, what are you waiting for? Read it already!_

Chapter 12

When I finally make it to out the dining room, Alice and Rose are at the front door, waiting to surprise the guys. I smile to myself, thinking how lucky I am to be here with everyone.

I take my place next to Alice, who gives my hand a little squeeze.

"It's everyone's first Valentine's together! It's perfect!" she squeals.

I shake my head at her, wondering how she isn't nervous right now. I look over at Rose to see her head shaking slightly, her bottom lip trembling.

Alice stops me before I make a move to go over to Rose, "It's okay, Bella. She's just a little jittery today. Calm down, too. Haven't you learned anything from being my friend?" She gives me a little pout.

I roll my eyes slightly, "Please, Alice. We've been through this before..."

"The girls are going to be shocked!"

The three of us snap our heads in the direction of the door. Alice's eyes widen in realization as she puts a finger to her lips, grabbing our arms and leading us toward the bar.

"Oh! I didn't think anything like this would happen!" Her voice trails off, a far away look in her eyes.

We stay silent for a few moments as we hear the keys jingle in the lock. I feel the tension building in us, wondering if we should show ourselves right away or stay hidden.

And Rose makes the decision for us as she runs out from behind the bar, throwing her arms around Emmett's neck.

"You wanted to surprise me?" She squeals in his ear.

He shakes his head, a wide smile playing at his lips. He grabs her face, giving her a slow kiss, and turns to us, "Shouldn't you two go after your men as well?"

Alice takes the cue first and runs out from behind the bar, "Jasper!" As he turns around, she leaps into his arms, kissing all over his face. He gives a shy laugh, leaning his head on her shoulder.

As I stand there mesmerized by those two couples, I hear a throat being cleared behind me. Jumping, I turn to see Edward in all his glory, crooked smile included. He holds his arms out, inviting me into his warm embrace.

Gently moving toward him, I circle my arms around his neck, pulling him in for a quick kiss. His hands trail little circles on my back, forcing my body closer to his. I relish in the feeling of our bodies so close together and deepen our kiss.

We stay like this for a while, our kisses becoming more passionate. I can't help but moan into his mouth as his hand moves just under the bottom of my shirt.

And all too soon, Alice, who has a smirk on her face, is pulling us apart.

"None of that here, you two!" She says, grabbing our arms and leading us to the tables. "Save it for later--we'd like to keep our appetite."

I give her a glare and realize I'm very tempted to stick my tongue out at her.

Angela and Ben walk into the dining room, holding the appetizers I prepared earlier. Edward leads me to my seat with a hand on my back. As he pulls out my chair, I notice a slight blush creeping upon his cheeks. I start to wonder what he has up his sleeve today...

Once we're all seated, the appetizers are placed in front of us and the lights dimmed. Edward looks over to me, shock clearly written on his face.

"How did you...?"

I place my hand on his, stalling his question, "Enjoy the food, Edward. We'll talk about everything later."

He nods his head at me, with adoration in his eyes, "Of course, my Bella."

We eat the appetizer in silence, the gentle flavors of the dish melting on our tongues. I look at Edward, whose eyes are closed while he tastes the food, and notice a smile playing at his lips.

After a few moments, he looks to me, "The flavor combinations are classical, but somehow you make it magical." He takes my hand in his, lifts it to his lips, and gives it a quick kiss.

I stare into his eyes, losing myself in the moment with him. I couldn't imagine being happier with anyone else.

Angela's hand on my should stirs me, "Are you finished with your appetizer?"

After a quick nod of my head, our plates are cleared. We sit there in silence, looking around the room. At the other tables, they are deep in conversations with their heads close together, smiles gracing their faces. Alice catches my eye and gives me a big smile.

Once our main course is delivered, the bitter aroma of espresso combined with the peppery smell of the cayenne wafts toward our noses. I catch of glimpse of Edward closing his eyes, a deep look of concentration on his face. I giggle a bit, watching him closely, waiting for his senses to realize what flavor combination I used.

Finally, he opens his eyes, giving me a light glare. He takes his fork, gently easing a piece onto it, and takes the bite. His eyes focus on me the entire time, light humor apparent in them. He nods his head in approval and smiles at me.

Once again, we eat the meal in silence, stealing shy glances at one another. The beef matches well with the sides on the plate, and I find myself savoring every moment of this dish.

All too soon, our main courses are finished, our stomachs satiated. Edward grabs my hand, pulling it to lips, and places a chaste kiss there.

"That was amazing, Bella. Thank you!" He places another kiss on my hand before silently moving his chair closer to mine. Placing a hand on my neck, he leans his head close to mine, our eyes locking.

Dessert is placed on the table without our knowledge. A squeal from the other table arouses us, forcing our eyes to tear away from one another's. We look around to see Alice holding a spoon and Jasper's face covered in my chocolate cake. Giggling, I watch the exchange as Jasper tries to do the same to Alice and miserably fails.

When I turn back to Edward, he is already holding a little bite of the dessert on a spoon for me. I shake my head, wanting him to be the first to taste it. A little nudge by the spoon, and my mouth opens. The sweetness and bitterness of the cake with the crème anglaise hit my tongue, creating the reaction I hoped for. As the flavors combine in my mouth, I smile at Edward, who is taking his first bite.

His eyes close as he closes his mouth around the spoon, a sweet smile playing at his lips. Before he can open his eyes, I make my move quickly, kissing him, wanting to taste him and the dessert together.

He moans softly into my lips, moving his arms around me, pulling me closer. I relish in the feeling of our upper bodies touching and want more of him. Our lips part, and his tongue tangles in mine. My body ignites, needing him.

We break the kiss slowly, not wanting to move away from one another. Our eyes catch, our smiles wider than before. I can feel the blush creeping upon my cheeks and avert my eyes to the table.

After our dessert is finished, Edward wraps his around me, his mouth close to my ear, "You do know that I will do everything to pay you back for this. I couldn't have asked for a better Valentine's Day."

"Edward, you don't have to pay me back! I did this because I wanted to..."

He looks at me, his eyes full of adoration, "I don't have to. I want to."

"But--"

He cuts me off by placing his fingers on my lips, "Don't argue with me, Bella. I had plans for you today as well, and you ruined them."

My eyes go wide at his words and I feel horrible. Just as I'm about to apologize, I notice that crooked smile playing at his lips, his body shaking from holding in his laughter.

I playfully smack his arm, pulling out of his embrace. His smile fades for a minute, but then returns when I sit in his lap, wrapping my arms around his neck.

I lean my face toward his, moving away from his lips at the last second. He groans in my ear as he places a kiss on my cheek. I giggle, as I gently nip his earlobe, causing his arms to tighten around me.

"Must you tease me in such company?"

I nod my head, looking around the room. Alice and Jasper have their eyes locked, silent emotions and words flowing between them. No one in the room matters to them anymore. Rose and Emmett have disappeared. I'm guessing they've made their way to the closet downstairs.

"It's only you and I right now, Edward. Relax a little, have some fun."

"I'm very tempted to take you in the walk-in and show you relaxed, Bella."

I stare into his eyes, knowing full well that he isn't joking around. My body shivers, my heart beat increases, and the blush forces its way back onto my cheeks.

"I'm glad you understand what you have done to me. And I will have you in the walk-in later..."

And he kisses me, pulling me closer to him, challenging me tempt him more. I play his game for a while, leaving a trail of kisses on his jaw, gently biting his neck, and tracing my fingers on his back.

Ever so quickly, Edward and I are on our feet, our breaths short. He moves away from me, motioning with his hand to follow. Confused, I speed up to walk with him, but he's too quick for me.

The door to the kitchen is just closing as I reach it. I stop, placing my hand on my door, wondering what went wrong at the table. Taking a deep breath, I walk into the kitchen, only to have myself pushed up against the wall, Edward's body flush with mine.

"What am I going to do with you? Do you feel what you do to me?" His hips grind into mine; I can feel his arousal pushing into my stomach.

My mouth forms the shape of an "o" as I force my eyes to focus on his face. His eyes are full of shame, but there's a fire in them that I haven't seen before. And I find myself intrigued...and very aroused as well.

I pull his face to mine for a passionate kiss, compelling my lips to say what my mouth can't.

"Bella…" He pulls away, his hands on my sides.

I place a hand on his cheek, gently rubbing with one finger, "Edward." Smiling, I move closer to him, kissing him again.

We pull apart, our hands never leaving each other's body. I don't want to stop touching him, but the clock is against us.

Static rings over the speakers and Alice's voice booms in the kitchen, "Rose and Emmett, will you please stop whatever physical activity you're doing in the supply closet and report to the bar? And Edward and Bella, stop touching! Aren't you supposed to be prepping for tonight?"

I close my eyes, blushing. Alice knows all.

Edward laughs, grabbing my hand, "You heard the lady, Bella. Get to work!"

Music plays over the sound system while we prep. We work together, moving our bodies to the music, calling out items that we need, and singing the lyrics. Our prep work is finished before we know it, leaving us with an hour to spare.

Arms wrap around my waist and I sigh in content. I can feel Edward's breath on my neck, his hands caressing my stomach.

"I just need to check something downstairs. I'll be right back."

With my eyes closed, I nod my head. And a just a second later, they fly back open, realizing he can't go down there.

"Edward, wait!"

He stops at the top of the stairs, turning slowly toward me, that crooked smile adorning his face.

"I'm not going in the walk-in, Bella," he says, winking.

I narrow my eyes at him, wondering how I can stop him from moving any further.

He chuckles, moving closer to me, "What is it?"

I struggle to find the right words to say, when something comes to mind. "What if Emmett and Rose are still in the supply closet? Shouldn't you give them a little privacy?"

He laughs loudly; the sound is heaven to my ears. Looking back to the stairway, he whispers, "I don't think they like privacy that much..."

As he starts to turn away, I again struggle to come up with another excuse. And I fail horribly.

I stand there, waiting for what seems like an eternity for him to come back. Nervously, I fiddle with my hands, wondering what is taking him so long.

And finally, I see him walking back up the stairs with some items in his arms and a confused look on his face.

"Something wrong, Edward?" I take a few things from him, placing them on the counter.

He shakes his head at me, moving to the reach-in to unload the rest of the food in his arms. Once everything is perfectly placed, he looks up at me, "I think they moved out of the supply closet and into the bathroom. I heard some weird noises coming from there and I don't think I want to know."

I let out a breath, the laughter building inside of me. Edward gives me a confused look, but I shake it off. The smile returns to my face and I kiss him on the cheek.

"What are you so happy for?" He asks, standing to grab the rest of the food.

"I can't be happy to just be here with you?"

He laughs lightly, placing the items in the cooler, "Are you ready for tonight? This will be one of the longest services you've ever done."

"I'm a little nervous, but I'm sure everything will go smoothly. Or have you not noticed how well we work together?"

He smiles at me, taking my hand, "I've heard they're jealous of us."

"Extremely jealous, Edward!" Alice says, pushing him away from me. "I need you downstairs for a girls' meeting, Bella."

After pulling me down the stairs and dragging me back up through the stairs that lead to the bar, we're both out of breath.

I snap my hand out of her grasp, glaring at her.

"What? Do you now want to hear what I have to say?"

I sigh, "No, but can't you move slower? I swear I almost fell three times."

"Actually, it was more along the lines of ten times, but who's counting?"

I narrow my eyes again, "What is it this time, your majesty?"

It's her turn to glare at me, "Oh, you're so lucky I like you, Bella..."

Laughing, she turns to Rose, "Well, shall we share the plan?"

Rose nods her heads, her smile wide. She places three margaritas on the bar, "Ladies, an afternoon drink never hurt anyone. And I think we're going to need it tonight."

I'm not about to argue, so I take mine, sipping slowly. I eagerly await the information I'm about to receive.

"Oh, there's nothing really to tell, Bella. We just wanted you to have a drink with us," Rose says, putting an arm around my waist. "To us!"

We tap our glasses together, laughing. As we enjoy our margaritas, Alice and Rose compliment me on the lunch that I made. I feel myself blush over their words and thank them in turn.

"I think it's time to the open the restaurant, ladies," Jasper says, walking toward the door.

I thank Rose and Alice for stealing me out of the kitchen, giving each of them a hug, and head back to the kitchen.

Soft music plays on the speakers, setting the mood. It has a nice beat, telling me it will be a fun night working in the kitchen with Edward. I imagine us moving around one another smoothly, dancing for a few seconds, and then cooking again. A smile creeps upon lips as I walk behind Edward.

I wrap my arms around his waist, squeezing his gently, pulling my body to his. There is a part of me that wants to forego cooking to meet him in the walk-in. And yet, another part tells me to wait, for the passion that is there is only building.

I gently untangle my arms from his waist, moving behind the line. After tying the apron around my waist, I set-up my station and wait for the tickets to start pouring in.

The printers start quickly, spitting out tickets. Edward and I wrestle over who will grab the first ticket to call out. As the ever gentleman that he is, I win the first ticket battle.

"Table 8, one carpaccio, one lamb medium, and one t-bone rare."

Edward moves quickly on starting the appetizer, while I take out the meat for the main courses.

Emmett and Alice come into the kitchen, their faces red.

"It's a mad house out there! I can't believe the entire restaurant is packed this quick," Emmett says, wiping his brow with my towel.

"Don't use that for your face!" I grab the towel from him with two fingers, placing it in the dirty bin.

He scowls at me, grabbing the appetizer from the line, and moving slowly out of the kitchen, "You're going to be using it later! I don't know why I can't use it!"

"Table 10, one ahi tuna, two tenderloins medium rare. Emmett, she can use it because her sweat is not disgusting. It's more along the lines of sweet..." Edward says all this in one breath, smirking.

Emmett grumbles something on his way out the door, while Alice giggles and waits for her appetizer.

"It really is packed out there, you two. Can you handle it?" She grabs a gnocchi from the dish that I'm plating up.

"We can, Alice," Edward says, while grilling the lamb. "And don't let that appetizer get cold by just standing there..."

She winks at me, grabs another gnocchi, and leaves.

As we move around the kitchen together, I notice the tickets keep piling up. As fast as Edward and I move, we just can't get the number to go down. Thankfully, Alice and Emmett are plating up the desserts on their own.

It's an hour into service, and we've already served the first seating. After an extremely short break, the tickets start coming out again, forcing us to realize what a night we really are in for.

Edward starts grabbing tickets, reading them off quickly. I struggle to keep up with his words, and find myself falling behind.

"Bella, where's the other entree for table 19?"

I pull my eyes away from the salmon that I'm searing to stare directly in eyes. And I see in his face that he knows I forgot to make the pasta dish. I feel my face turn red and the back of my throat starts to burn.

"I'm sorry. I..." The words are choked in my throat.

His eyes are full of concern, "Bella, are you okay? You look a little lost."

I smell the salmon burning, quickly removing the pan from the fire. Mentally swearing at myself, I turn back to meet Edward's eyes. I nod my head at him, silently telling him that I'll be fine.

He has other plans for me, however. Gently, he leads me to the back of the kitchen where the makeshift chairs are. He places his hands on my shoulders, forcing me to sit. After a chaste kiss on the forehead, he whispers in my ear, "Take a breath, Bella. Sit here for as long as you need. I have everything under control."

I'm in a daze as I watch him behind the line. He moves with grace as he grabs the food from the reach-in, placing it in a pan. As it sizzles, he moves to the other side, making appetizers. His feet never leave the floor, but it looks as though he is floating.

"Close your mouth, Bella."

I didn't know my jaw was hanging open. As I bring my eyes up to meet Edward's, the look on his face is incredible. His eyes show passion, his mouth is twisted into his crooked grin, and his jaw-line is chiseled. I want nothing more than to run to him, wrap my arms around, and kiss him.

I'm met with open arms as my body slams into his. My arms wrap around his neck, pulling his face down to meet mine. Our lips meet forcefully, as our hands start to roam each other's body. Our kisses are passionate, demanding, and needy. Our tongues meet quickly as electric currents race through my body.

And suddenly I start to smell something burning. We untangle our bodies to find the tenderloin blackened in the pan. As we start to laugh, we realize we have an audience.

Alice and Emmett are standing there, their jaws dropped. I can feel the redness adorning my cheeks, and bury my face in Edward's chest.

"Wow," comes out of Alice's mouth softly.

Emmett just stands there, his jaw still drooping. I laugh at his expression, moving toward my station again.

"I'm ready, Chef," I say, looking at Edward.

He smiles, handing me another piece of tenderloin, "Then get to work, Chef!"

I nod my head at him, giving him a smile, "Yes, sir!" I salute him and turn to the stove.

And it begins again. We take turns calling out the tickets and repeating them out loud. Our bodies moving in sync as we dance around each other, keeping up with the food. Every so often, we find ourselves flush against one another, stealing sweet kisses.

The tickets are no longer backing up; the printer is starting to die down a bit. I check my watch and notice that it's already past ten. I give a sigh of relief, hoping this night will end quickly now.

And, alas, it doesn't. We get another rush around eleven, forcing us to not drag our feet. We're both exhausted now, but our movements are the same.

After another two hours, it's finally time to close down. I untie my apron and unbutton my chef coat. The heat is the kitchen is unbearable now; I'm glad I decided on a tank top underneath.

Edward follows suit, baring his tank top as well. I stop my jaw from dropping and force myself to look away. We have to break down the kitchen first. And I keep repeating that mentally as he moves toward me.

His hands grab my waist, picking up my slowly until my face is level with his. The emotions are clearly written on his face as he kisses me deeply.

Gently he sets me down, moving toward his station. We break down the kitchen quickly, cleaning in a comfortable silence.

Just as we finish, Jasper walks into the kitchen. He's holding some papers in his hand, extending them toward Edward.

As he scans the papers his face has an unbelievable look, "We did 500 covers tonight?"

Jasper nods his head, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

Edward turns to me, "We did 500 covers tonight, Bella! Just the two of us!" And he picks me up, swinging me around, laughing. "This means we celebrate!"

The happiness is infectious as we make our way to the bar. Everyone is celebrating after an extremely hard day of work.

After a couple of drinks, we all decide to call it a night. Thankfully, the boys have decided to close the restaurant tomorrow for much needed rest and alone time.

Alice stops me as I make my way toward the stairs, "He'll love the gift. Trust me."

I give her a hug, kissing her on the cheek, "Thank you, Alice. I'm so grateful to have you as a friend."

Downstairs, I feel jittery as Edward walks into the locker room.

"Finally, peace and quiet. And I don't have to share you with any stoves tomorrow," he whispers in my ear as he pulls me close.

I laugh, gently pulling out of his grasp, "No, not the stoves..."

His confusion is clear on his face as I grab his hand, leading him toward the bathroom.

"The bathroom? Oh no! We're not doing anything where they've been..." He tries to pull out of my grasp, but I stand my ground.

"Edward, it wasn't them in the bathroom. Look inside," I say to him as I open the door.

I push him forward and he's greeted with an extremely happy Alaskan Malamute puppy. She wags her tail, jumping up, whining to be pet.

I wait nervously for his reaction. And then he bends down, lifting her in his arms, cooing to her.

"You bought her for me?"

I nod my head, a small smile at my lips.

"Why?"

I sigh, "Because I know about Nakita and how much you loved her. I wanted you to have that again. I know what you went through and how hard it is to cope after that happens."

Gently, he puts the puppy down, who starts whining immediately for attention. He gathers me up in his arms, kissing all over my face, before kissing my lips. He pulls back, staring me straight in the eyes, "She beautiful, just like you."

I blush at his words, kissing his lips.

"You should name her, you know."

I shake my head, "She's yours. You name her."

He closes his eyes for a second, thinking. Looking down at her, his smile grows. He picks her up, kissing her head, "I think I'll name you later, little pup. There's something I need to do first."

After setting her back down, he takes my hand, leads me out of the bathroom and closes the door. She starts to whine a bit, but settles down after a few moments.

He leads me to the walk-in, opening the door for me. The entire cooler is filled with red roses; petals are strewn about the floor.

"This is where it all started..." He walks in, pulling me with him.

He turns to face me, the fire in his eyes noticeable, "Bella..."

"Edward," I say, as I bring one hand up to cup his cheek.

His eyes bear into mine, "I love you."

My heart jumps in my chest, beating loudly. Emotions overflow me and I realize this is completely real. And it feels so very right.

"I love you too, Edward."

And as he lifts me up again, kissing me passionately, I couldn't be happier.

And I have Alice to thank for everything.

_I want to thank all my readers out there. You're the best! Because of you, I wanted this to be perfect. Thank you again!_

_I don't know if there will be another story anytime soon, but expect some one-shots from me. I have a couple in my head about this story that happens after this ending._

_Please let me know if you enjoyed it! _

_Much love to all you wonderful readers out there!_


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